Boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) in polymer chemistry

Boron dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs) are versatile dyes with diverse structures and associated optoelectronic properties. Their integration into soft materials (polymers) has enabled a myriad of applications from biological/environmental (e.g., imaging, sensing, and therapy) to organic electronic devices and synthesis/degradation. The story herein is meant to guide the reader from the bottom-up, starting with general syntheses of BODIPYs, followed by a discussion of photophysical and electrochemical properties as they relate to structure. These structure–property relationships are then connected to three light driven transformations that are central to the utility of BODIPYs in materials science: (1) electron/energy transfer; (2) triplet formation, and (3) photolysis. Next, the synthetic integration of BODIPYs as structural motifs in both π-conjugated and non-π-conjugated polymers is described, along with prescribed methods to tailor their optoelectronic properties. These properties are then correlated to recent utility of BODIPYs within polymer science, both fundamental – examination of polymer dynamics and self-assembly – and applied – biomedicine, optoelectronics, chemosensors, small molecule photoredox catalysis, and photo-polymerization and -degradation. The end of this review provides a summary of the rich history and outlook on the exciting future opportunities for this burgeoning field of BODIPYs in polymer chemistry.