Recent advances of BODIPY based derivatives for optoelectronic applications

4,4-Difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY)-based-π-conjugated derivatives are endowed with extraordinary photonic and electronic properties. The BODIPYs possess unique features, including easy functionalization, simple synthetic modification, highly conjugated structure, strong absorption with high fluorescence quantum yield. In the last few decades, research has been devoted for developing BODIPY based materials with a wide range of applications in the field of both optoelectronic and biomedical applications. The incorporation of a variety of π-conjugated substituents at the meso position as well as at the pyrrolic position of BODIPY perturbs the photophysical and electrochemical properties to a greater extend. This perturbation leads to redshifted absorption with high molar extinction coefficient, excellent luminescent properties, good ion sensing properties and balanced hole and electron transport of BODIPY based materials. In this review, we have discussed the photophysical properties of a wide range of π-conjugated BODIPY based materials which are having potential applications in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), nonlinear optics (NLOs), sensing, hole-transporting materials (HTMs) and electron-transporting materials (ETMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as well as materials for ultrafast charge transfer. We have also addressed the photophysical and electrochemical properties of the meso-, α- and β-functionalized BODIPYs which depend on the substitution pattern on the BODIPY core.