Hydrophobic Thin Layers Based on <i>N</i>‐Coordinated Metallaboroxine Polymers

ABSTRACT The reaction of organogallium amide LGa(NEt2)2 (1) and organotin carbonate L(Ph)SnCO3 (2), where L = 2,6‐(Me2NCH2)2C6H3, with organoboronic acids RB(OH)2 yielded molecular gallium‐ and stannaboroxines LM(O3B2R2) (3–8) (3: M = Ga, R = 4‐tBu‐C6H4; 4: M = Ga, R = 4‐CF3‐C6H4; 5: M = Ga, R = 3,5‐(CF3)2‐C6H3; 6: M = PhSn, R = 4‐tBu‐C6H4; 7: M = PhSn, R = 4‐CF3‐C6H4; 8: M = PhSn, R = 3,5‐(CF3)2‐C6H3). The Lewis acidity of boron atom (especially in 8) allowed to form N → B coordination bond with bases such as 4‐Me2N‐pyridine (DMAP) or poly(4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐styrene) (PVPS) yielding new compounds DMAP→8 (9) and PVPS→8 (10). The good film forming properties of 10 allowed the deposition of transparent thin layers by spin‐coating method and the determination of their hydrophobic properties by the sessile drop method. The study of hydrophobicity was subsequently focused on the content of stannaboroxine 8 in PVPS and on the concentration influence of the deposited PVPS:8 mixture solution. The parameters of thin layers such as thickness, transparency, and roughness were also determined.