An unprecedented synthesis of 8-substituted-borondipyrromethenes is described starting from 8-thiomethylbodipy
1. Aryl, heteroaryl, alkenyl,and organometallic boronic acids smoothly reacted with
1 in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(0) and a stoichiometric amount ofCu(I)-2-thienylcarboxylate
under neutral conditions to give the corresponding Bodipy analogues in good to quantitative yields (20 examples).A remarkable reactivity was observed in some cases, e.g., ferrocenylboronic acid gave the product in 98% isolated yield after
only 10 min at55 C.