Anion-Responsive Boron-Spiro-Centered π-Electronic Systems That Form Ion-Pairing Assemblies.

A variety of naphthalenediolates were orthogonally introduced to the boron unit of dipyrrolyldiketone boron complexes, exhibiting electronic properties that depended on the substituting positions of the naphthyl moieties. Combining the anion complexes with countercations resulted in the formation of ion-pairing assemblies with supporting stacking interactions of the naphthyl units.