Cobalt‐Catalyzed Markovnikov‐Type Selective Hydroboration of Terminal Alkynes

Controlling Chemoselectivity of Catalytic Hydroboration with Light

The ability to selectively react one functional group in the presence of another underpins efficient reaction sequences. Despite many designer catalytic systems being reported for hydroboration reactions, which allow introduction of a functional handle for cross-coupling or act as mild method for reducing polar functionality, these platforms rarely deal with more complex systems where multiple potentially reactive sites exist. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, the ability to use light to distinguish between ketones and carboxylic acids in more complex molecules. By taking advantage of different activation modes, a single catalytic system can be used for hydroboration, with the chemoselectivity dictated only by the presence or absence of visible light.

Cyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbene Ligands Enable Cu-Catalyzed Markovnikov Protoboration and Protosilylation of Terminal Alkynes: A Versatile Portal to Functionalized Alkenes*

Regioselective hydrofunctionalization of alkynes represents a straightforward route to access alkenyl boronate and silane building blocks. In previously reported catalytic systems, high selectivity is achieved with a limited scope of substrates and/or reagents, with general solutions lacking. Herein, we describe a selective copper-catalyzed Markovnikov hydrofunctionalization of terminal alkynes that is facilitated by strongly donating cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) ligands. Using this method, both alkyl- and aryl-substituted alkynes are coupled with a variety of boryl and silyl reagents with high α-selectivity. The reaction is scalable, and the products are versatile intermediates that can participate in various downstream transformations. Preliminary mechanistic experiments shed light on the role of CAAC ligands in this process.

Cobalt-Catalyzed One-Pot Asymmetric Difunctionalization of Alkynes to Access Chiral gem-(Borylsilyl)alkanes

Enantioselective cobalt-catalyzed one-pot hydrosilylation and hydroboration of terminal alkynes has been developed employing a cobalt catalyst generated from Co(acac)₂ and (R,R)-Me-Ferrocelane. A variety of terminal alkynes undergo this asymmetric transformation, affording the corresponding gem-(borylsilyl)alkane products with high enantioselectivity (up to 98 % ee). This one-pot reaction combines (E)-selective hydrosilylation of alkynes and consecutive enantioselective hydroboration of (E)-vinylsilanes with one chiral cobalt catalyst. This protocol represents the most straightforward approach to access versatile chiral gem-(borylsilyl)alkanes from readily available alkynes with commercially available cobalt salt and chiral ligand.

(Z)-Selective Hydrosilylation and Hydroboration of Terminal Alkynes Enabled by Ruthenium Complexes with an N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand

Metal-catalyzed trans-1,2-hydrosilylations and hydroborations of terminal alkynes that generate synthetically valuable (Z)-alkenylsilanes and (Z)-alkenylboranes remain challenging due to the (E)-selective nature of the reactions and the formation of the thermodynamically unfavorable (Z)-isomer. The development of new, efficient catalytic systems for the (Z)-selective hydrosilylation and hydroboration of terminal alkynes is thus highly desirable from a fundamental perspective as it would deepen our understanding of the metal-catalyzed (Z)-selective hydrosilylation and hydroboration of terminal alkynes. This personal account describes our research for developing a ruthenium complex that can efficiently catalyze the hydrosilylation and hydroboration of terminal alkynes, and for exploring the factors controlling (Z)-selectivity of the reactions. Our effort into the activation of B-protected boronic acids, R-B(dan) (dan=naphthalene-1,8-diaminato), that was believed not to participate in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, is also discussed.