R–Ph–B(FMes)2 compounds exhibit low reduction potentials, bright emission, a TICT state and unusual long-lived phosphorescence at low temperature.

Aromatic hydrogenation is a challenging transformation typically requiring alkali or transition metal reagents and/or harsh conditions to facilitate the process. In sharp contrast, the aromatic heterocycle 2,4,6-tri-tert-butyl-1,3,5-triphosphabenzene is shown to be reduced under 4 atm of H2 to give [3.1.0]bicylo reduction products, with the structure of the major isomer being confirmed by X-ray crystallography. NMR studies show this reaction proceeds via a reversible 1,4-H2 addition to generate an intermediate species, which undergoes an irreversible suprafacial hydride shift concurrent with P-P bond formation to give the isolated products. Further, para-hydrogen experiments confirmed the addition of H2 to triphosphabenzene is a bimolecular process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that facile distortion of the planar triphosphabenzene toward a boat-conformation provides a suprafacial combination of vacant acceptor and donor orbitals that permits this direct and uncatalyzed reduction of the aromatic molecule.

The synthesis of indoles via the metal-catalyzed cross-coupling of ammonia is reported for the first time; the developed protocol also allows for the unprecedented use of methylamine or hydrazine as coupling partners. These Pd/Josiphos-catalyzed reactions proceed under relatively mild conditions for a range of 2-alkynylbromoarenes.

Inter- and intramolecular P/B frustrated Lewis pairs are shown to react with an N-sulfinylamine to form PNSOB linakages. These species can be regarded as phosphinimine-borane-stabilized sulfur monoxide complexes, and indeed these species act as sources of SO, effecting the oxidation of PPh3 and delivering SO to [RhCl(PPh3)3] and an N-heterocyclic carbene.