The
azaborine motif provides a unique opportunity to develop core
isosteres by inserting B–N units in place of C=C bonds
within aromatic scaffolds, creating new pseudoaromatic building blocks
that retain comparable structural features. Previous synthetic routes
to the 1,3,2-benzodiazaborole core have used organoboron dichlorides
and boronic acids as the boron precursors. The transformation developed
herein utilizes entirely bench stable starting materials, including
organotrifluoroborates, enabling a wider array of substrate analogues
under facile reaction conditions. Furthermore, physical, structural,
and electronic properties of these compounds were explored computationally
to understand the influence of the B–N replacement on the structure,
aromaticity, and isosteric viability of these analogues.