title: Conjugated polymer sensors built on pi-extended borasiloxane cages.
abstract: An efficient 2 + 2 cyclocondensation with dihydroxysilane converted simple arylboronic acids to bifunctional borasiloxane cage molecules, which were subsequently electropolymerized to furnish air-stable thin films. The extended [p,pi]-conjugation that defines the rigid backbone of this new conjugated polymer (CP) motif gives rise to longer-wavelength UV-vis transitions upon oxidative doping, the spectral window and intensity of which can be modified by interaction with Lewis basic reagents. Notably, this boron-containing CP undergoes a rapid and reversible color change from green to orange upon exposure to volatile amine samples under ambient conditions. This direct naked-eye detection scheme can best be explained by invoking the reversible B-N dative bond formation that profoundly influences the p-pi* orbital overlap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA.
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pink
authors.forename: Dongwhan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee