Fluorescent azobenzenes and aromatic aldimines featuring an N-B interaction.

Azobenzenes are constituents of the commonly and widely used azo dyes. Many dyes, except for the azo dyes, have been utilized for fluorescent materials. However, there are only a few fluorescent azobenzene derivatives and their fluorescence efficiencies are quite low. The current perspective provides an account of the fluorescent azobenzenes and aromatic aldimines featuring an N-B interaction. Incorporation of the intramolecular N-B interaction by using the bis(pentafluorophenyl)boryl group makes the azobenzenes and aromatic aldimines fluorescent with a range of colours. Some of them fluoresce with extraordinarily high fluorescence quantum yields. Their synthesis, structures, fluorescence properties, and applications are discussed.