10-(3,5-Dinitrophenyl)-5,5-difluoro-1,3,7,9-tetramethyl-5H-dipyrrolo[1,2-c:2′,1′-f][1,3,2]diazaborinin-4-ium-5-uide

In an effort to discover new potential boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes, the title compound, C19H17BF2N4O4, was prepared from 2,4-dimethylpyrrole, 3,5-dinitrobenzaldehyde and boron trifluoride in a one-pot reaction. The BODIPY fragment is nearly planar, with a maximum deviation from the least-squares plane of 0.251 (2) Å, and the benzene ring is inclined at a dihedral angle of 86.8 (6)° to the BODIPY mean plane. In the crystal, pairs of C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds connect neighbouring molecules into inversion dimers, which are linked by further strong C—H⋯F interactions, forming a supramolecular layered array parallel to the bc plane.