Atom-Efficient Synthesis of Alkynylfluoroborates Using BF3 -Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Transition Metal-Free Aromatic C-H, C-N, C-S and C-O Borylation

Aromatic organoboron compounds are highly valuable building blocks in organic chemistry. They were mainly synthesized through aromatic C-H and C-Het borylation, in which transition metal-catalysis dominate. In the past decade, with increasing attention to sustainable chemistry, numerous transition metal-free C-H and C-Het borylation transformations have been developed and emerged as efficient methods towards the synthesis of aromatic organoboron compounds. This account mainly focuses on recent advances in transition metal-free aromatic C-H, C-N, C-S, and C-O borylation transformations and provides insights to where further developments are required.

Non-Planar Structures of Sterically Overcrowded Trialkylamines

Several amines with three bulky alkyl groups at the nitrogen atom, which exceed the steric crowding of triisopropylamine significantly, were synthesized, mainly by treating N-chlorodialkylamines with Grignard reagents. In six cases, namely tert-butyldiisopropylamine, 1-adamantyl-tert-butylisopropylamine, di-1-adamantylamines with an additional N-cyclohexyl or N-exo-2-norbonyl substituent, as well as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine derivatives with N-cyclohexyl or N-neopentyl groups, appropriate single crystals were generated that enabled X-ray diffraction studies and analysis of the molecular structures. The four noncyclic amines adopt triskele-like conformations, and the sum of the three C-N-C angles is always in the range of 351.1° to 352.4°. Consequently, these amines proved to be structurally significantly flatter than trialkylamines without steric congestion, which is also signalized by the smaller heights of the NC3 pyramids (0.241-0.259 Å). There is no clear correlation between the heights of these pyramids and the degree of the steric crowding in the new amines, presumably because steric repulsion is partly compensated by dispersion interaction. In the cases of the two heterocyclic amines, the steric stress is smaller, and the molecular structures include quite different conformations. Quantum chemical calculations led to precise gas-phase structures of the sterically overcrowded trialkylamines exhibiting heights of the NC3 pyramids and preferred molecular conformers which are similar to those resulting from the X-ray studies.

Metal-Free C-H Borylation of N-Heteroarenes by Boron Trifluoride

Organoboron compounds are essential reagents in modern C-C coupling reactions. Their synthesis via catalytic C-H borylation by main group elements is emerging as a powerful tool alternative to transition metal based catalysis. Herein, a straightforward metal-free synthesis of aryldifluoroboranes from BF3 and heteroarenes is reported. The reaction is assisted by sterically hindered amines and catalytic amounts of thioureas. According to computational studies the reaction proceeds via frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) mechanism. The obtained aryldifluoroboranes are further stabilized against destructive protodeborylation by converting them to the corresponding air stable tetramethylammonium organotrifluoroborates.

Aggregation Behavior of a Six-Membered Cyclic Frustrated Phosphane/Borane Lewis Pair: Formation of a Supramolecular Cyclooctameric Macrocyclic Ring System

A new six-membered cyclic frustrated phosphane/borane Lewis pair was liberated from its HB(C₆ F₅ )₂ adduct by treatment with vinylcyclohexane. The system is an active frustrated Lewis pair that undergoes cycloaddition reactions with suitable π reagents and it splits dihydrogen. At room temperature in solution the new compound is a monomer, however, in the crystal and in solution at low temperature it aggregates to a thermodynamically favoured supramolecular macrocyclic cyclooctamer.