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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Synthesis of a Borylated Ibuprofen Derivative Through Suzuki Cross-Coupling and Alkene Boracarboxylation Reactions

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Published on: November 30, 2022

Direct B-H Bond Activation Polymerization of Boron Clusters.

Meng Chen^1,2, Zhaofeng Sun¹, Liyan Wang¹

¹State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|November 11, 2025

Summary

Researchers developed a new Pd-catalyzed polymerization of carboranes, creating high-molecular-weight polymers. These novel boron cluster polymers are degradable and show promise for bioimaging and neutron capture therapy.

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Last Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Synthesis of a Borylated Ibuprofen Derivative Through Suzuki Cross-Coupling and Alkene Boracarboxylation Reactions

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Published on: February 7, 2017

Area of Science:

Polymer Chemistry
Materials Science
Boron Cluster Chemistry

Background:

Functionalizing boron clusters like carboranes at boron vertices is synthetically challenging due to inert B-H bonds and regioselectivity.
While B-H bond functionalization is advancing for small molecules, boron cluster-based polymer synthesis via direct B-H activation polymerization is unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel polymerization method for constructing boron cluster-based polymers.
To explore the synthesis of degradable, multifunctional polymers using carboranes and diynes.

Main Methods:

Palladium-catalyzed B-H bond activation polymerization of nido-carboranes with internal diynes.
Characterization of resulting polymers for molecular weight, yield, and degradability.

Main Results:

Achieved high molecular weights (up to 103.8 kg/mol) and excellent yields (up to 99%) in boron-site-substituted polymers.
Demonstrated excellent degradability of the polymers due to dense nido-carborane incorporation.
Synthesized aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active polymers for bioimaging and boron delivery agents.

Conclusions:

Established a general and facile route to degradable, multifunctional boron cluster-based polymers.
Showcased the potential of these polymers in materials science and biomedicine, including bioimaging and neutron capture therapy.