9,10-Dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracene: supramolecular structure and use as a building block for luminescent conjugated polymers.

Building bridges: The title compound forms an unprecedented polymeric structure with bridging B-H-B three-center two-electron bonds in the solid state. This organoborane serves as an efficient precursor for the preparation of boron-doped pi-conjugated polymers by hydroboration polymerization with a functionalized 1,4-diethynylbenzene (see picture). These polymers form thin films that show intense green luminescence.