1-Boraadamantane: reactivity towards di(1-alkynyl)silicon and -tin compounds: first access to 7-metalla-2,5-diboranorbornane derivatives

Borole-based half-sandwich complexes of germanium and tin

The synthesis and initial observations regarding the reactivity of borole-based half-sandwich complexes with apical divalent group 14 elements germanium and tin are described. The 2,5-disilylborole substitution pattern allows their access via salt metathesis of the respective borole dianions.

Germacyclobutenes: generation by 1,1-carbalumination or 1,1-carbagallation and their photophysical properties

Aluminium- and gallium-functionalised alkenylalkynylgermanes, R(1) 2 Ge(C≡C-R(2) )[C{E(CMe3 )2 }=C(H)-R(2) ] (E=Al, Ga), exhibit a close contact between the coordinatively unsaturated Al or Ga atoms and the α-C atoms of the intact ethynyl groups. These interactions activate the Ge-C(alkynyl) bonds and favour the thermally induced insertion of these C atoms into the E-C(vinyl) bonds by means of 1,1-carbalumination or 1,1-carbagallation reactions. For the first time the latter method was shown to be a powerful alternative to known metallation processes. Germacyclobutenes with an unsaturated GeC3 heterocycle and endo- and exocyclic C=C bonds resulted from concomitant Ge-C bond formation to the β-C atoms of the alkynyl groups. These heterocyclic compounds show an interesting photoluminescence behaviour with Stokes shifts of >110 nm. The fascinating properties are based on extended π-delocalisation including σ*-orbitals localised at Ge and Al. High-level quantum chemical DFT and TD-DFT calculations for an Al compound were applied to elucidate their absorption and emission properties. They revealed a biradical excited state with the transfer of a π-electron into the empty p-orbital at Al and a pyramidalisation of the metal atom.

Preparation of dithienylphospholes by 1,1-carboboration

In this study the scope of the 1,1-carboboration reaction was extended to the preparation of mixed heterole-based conjugated π-systems. Two arylbis(alkynyl)phosphane starting materials 2 were synthesized bearing two thiophene isomers at the alkyne units and the bulky tipp-substituent (tipp=2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl) at the phosphorous atom. The bis(thienylethynyl)phosphanes 2 were converted into the corresponding 2,5-thienyl-substituted 3-borylphospholes 4 in a double 1,1-carboboration reaction sequence employing the strongly electrophilic B(C6 F5 )3 reagent under mild reaction conditions. Subsequent Suzuki-Miyaura type cross-coupling yielded the corresponding 3-phenylphospholes 7 in a one-pot procedure from phosphanes 2 in high yields. Phospholes 7 were converted into the respective phosphole oxides 8. A photophysical characterization of derivatives 7 and 8 was carried out. The results presented here demonstrate the suitability of the 1,1-carboboration reaction for the preparation of phosphole-/thiophene-based, light-emitting systems.

Applications of pentafluorophenyl boron reagents in the synthesis of heterocyclic and aromatic compounds

Recently, main group reagents have attracted a lot of attention in bond-forming reactions in organic synthesis. This article highlights the use of pentafluorophenyl substituted boron reagents in their reactions with C=C and C≡C π-bonds for the synthesis of heterocyclic and aromatic compounds. These cyclisation reactions fall into four general classes although there is some overlap between classes and often combinations of these different types of reactivity are observed in the formation of the final heterocyclic product: (i) 1,2- (and 1,4-) additions of nucleophile and Lewis-acidic boron centre, (ii) 1,1-carboboration, (iii) carbocation rearrangements and (iv) cycloaddition chemistry. In addition, the prospect of using such boron reagents catalytically in the synthesis of aromatic compounds such as oxazoles and dibenzopentalene derivatives is emphasised.

Remarkably variable reaction modes of frustrated Lewis pairs with non-conjugated terminal diacetylenes

The frustrated Lewis pair P(o-tolyl)(3)/B(C(6)F(5))(3) reacts with 1,7-octadiyne by acetylene C-C coupling to yield the zwitterionic product 2a. In contrast, the P(o-tolyl)(3)/B(C(6)F(5))(3) Lewis pair reacts with 1,6-heptadiyne by a sequence involving 1,1-carboboration of a terminal acetylene to eventually yield the heterocyclic product 4.

Reaction of Alkyn-1-yl(diorganyl)silanes with 1-Boraadamantane: Si-H-B Bridges Confirmed by the Molecular Structure in the Solid State and in Solution

1-Boraadamantane 1 was treated with alkyn-1-ylsilanes 2 containing one or two Si[bond]H functions. Under mild conditions, the reaction gave 4-methylene-3-borahomoadamantane derivatives 4 quantitatively and selectively by 1,1-organoboration. An electron deficient Si-H-B bridge was present in the product. The analogous reaction of 1 with an alkyn-1-yl-disilane 3 gave the corresponding alkene derivative 5, however, without the Si-H-B bridge. Evidence for the Si-H-B bridge in 4 was given by IR data, an extensive set of NMR spectroscopical data ((1)H, (11)B, (13)C, (29)Si NMR) including various unusual isotope effects on chemical shifts and coupling constants, as well as from the molecular structure of one example, 4 e, in the solid state. The precursor of 4 e, alkyne 2 e, Ph(2)Si(H)C[triple bond]CSi(H)Ph(2), was also studied by X-ray analysis.

Reactivity of 1,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)-hexa-3-ene-1,5-diynes towards triethylborane, triallylborane, and 1-boraadamantane: first molecular structure of a 4-methylene-3-borahomoadamantane derivative, and the first 6,8-diborabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene derivative

Compounds (E)- (1) and (Z)-1,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)-hexa-3-ene-1,5-diyne (2) react with triethylborane (3) by 1,1-ethylboration in a 1:1 or 1:2 molar ratio (in the case of 1), whereas in the case of 2 only the 1:1 product is formed. The analogous reactions of 1 or 2 with triallylborane (4) are more complex because of competition between 1,1-allyl- and 1,2-allylboration. Again, compound 2 reacts only with one equivalent of 4. In the case of 1-boraadamantane (5), 1,1-organoboration of 1 and 2 takes place either at one or at both C[triple bond]C bonds leading to compounds containing the 4-methylene-3-borahomoadamantane unit(s). The product of the reaction of 1 with two equivalents of 5 was characterized by X-ray structure analysis. The primary products of the reaction of 2 with 5 rearrange upon heating by deorganoboration and organoboration to give finally a tetracyclic compound 24 that contains an exocyclic allenylidene group. The product of the 1:2 reaction of 2 with 5 rearranges to give the 6,8-dibora-bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene derivative 25. All reactions were monitored by (1)H, (11)B, (13)C, and (29)Si NMR spectroscopy.