Metal Nitrate Mediated Regioselective Nitration of BN-Substituted Arenes

A regioselective nitration of BN-substituted arene compounds has been successfully developed. The first examples of BN-nitroarenes have been synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. Photophysical studies of these novel compounds reveal an effective π conjugation between the nitro group and 1,2-azaborine moiety in the solution phase. A plausible mechanism for this nitration reaction is proposed.