The utility of boron-containing compounds extends beyond the well-known applications of boronic acids and esters in Suzuki cross-couplings and enzyme inhibition. In this selective review, the last 15 years' worth of advances in the synthesis and utility of boron heterocycles are highlighted. The synthesis of isoelectronic analogs of benzene-based molecules and explorations into their physicochemical properties has been the primary research focus of several groups. Cyclocondensations of boronic acids, borate esters, boranes, or boron di-/trihalides with various functionalized reagents are a commonly explored route to the synthesis of complex structures, often with considerable regio- or stereoselectivity that is important to drug development. A more recent and perhaps lesser known approach to the synthesis of boron heterocycles involves photochemical methodologies. Often the highly π-conjugated systems that arise from this assortment of methodologies display an array of interesting optical properties that make them candidates in furthering the advancement of organic optical light-emitting devices.
