Borane-Lewis Base Complexes as Homolytic Hydrogen Atom Donors

Unified Approach to Deamination and Deoxygenation Through Isonitrile Hydrodecyanation: A Combined Experimental and Computational Investigation

Herein, we describe a general hydrodefunctionalization protocol of alcohols and amines through a common isonitrile intermediate. To cleave the relatively inert C-NC bond, we leveraged dual hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and photoredox catalysis to generate a nucleophilic boryl radical, which readily forms an imidoyl radical intermediate from the isonitrile. Rapid β-scission then accomplishes defunctionalization. This method has been applied to the hydrodefunctionalization of both amine and alcohol-containing pharmaceuticals, natural products, and biomolecules. We extended this approach to the reduction of carbonyls and olefins to their saturated counterparts, as well as the hydrodecyanation of alkyl nitriles. Both experimental and computational studies demonstrate a facile β-scission of the imidoyl radical, and reconcile differences in reactivity between nitriles and isonitriles within our protocol.

The stability of oxygen-centered radicals and its response to hydrogen bonding interactions

The stability of various alkoxy/aryloxy/peroxy radicals, as well as TEMPO and triplet dioxygen (3 O2 ) has been explored at a variety of theoretical levels. Good correlations between RSEtheor and RSEexp are found for hybrid DFT methods, for compound schemes such as G3B3-D3, and also for DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations. The effects of hydrogen bonding interactions on the stability of oxygen-centered radicals have been probed by addition of a single solvating water molecule. While this water molecule always acts as a H-bond donor to the oxygen-centered radical itself, it can act as a H-bond donor or acceptor to the respective closed-shell parent.

Photocatalytic and Electrochemical Borylation and Silylation Reactions

Due to their high versatility borylated and silylated compounds are inevitable synthons for organic chemists. To escape the classical hydroboration/hydrosilylation paradigm, chemists turned their attention to more modern and green methods such as photoredox chemistry and electrosynthesis. This account focuses on novel methods for the generation of boryl and silyl radicals to forge C-B and C-Si bonds from our group.

A Neutral Borylene and its Conversion to a Radical by Selective Hydrogen Transfer

A successful selective reduction of X₂B-Tip (Tip = 1,3,5-ⁱPr₃-C₆H₂, X = I, Br) with KC₈ and Mg metal, respectively, in the presence of a hybrid ligand (C₆H₄(PPh₂)LSi) leads to a stable low-valent five-membered ring as a boryl radical [C₆H₄(PPh₂)LSiBTip][Br] (1) and neutral borylene [C₆H₄(PPh₂)LSiBTip] (2). Compound 2 reacts with 1,4-cyclohexadiene, resulting in hydrogen abstraction to afford the radical [C₆H₄(PPh₂)LSiB(H)Tip] (3). Quantum chemical studies reveal that compound 1 is a B-centered radical, and compound 2 is a phosphane and silylene stabilized neutral borylene in a trigonal planar environment, whereas compound 3 is an amidinate-centered radical. Although compounds 1 and 2 are stabilized by hyperconjugation and π-conjugation, they display high H-abstraction energy and basicity, respectively.

Gauging Radical Stabilization with Carbenes

Carbenes, including N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, are used extensively to stabilize open‐shell transition metal complexes and organic radicals. Yet, it remains unknown, which carbene stabilizes a radical well and, thus, how to design radical‐stabilizing C‐donor ligands. With the large variety of C‐donor ligands experimentally investigated and their electronic properties established, we report herein their radical‐stabilizing effect. We show that radical stabilization can be understood by a captodative frontier orbital description involving π‐donation to‐ and π‐donation from the carbenes. This picture sheds a new perspective on NHC chemistry, where π‐donor effects usually are assumed to be negligible. Further, it allows for the intuitive prediction of the thermodynamic stability of covalent radicals of main group‐ and transition metal carbene complexes, and the quantification of redox non‐innocence.

Catalysis with Diboron(4)/Pyridine: Application to the Broad-Scope [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of Cyclopropanes and Alkenes

In contrast to the extensive but non-recyclable use of tetraalkoxydiboron(4) compounds as stoichiometric reagents in diverse reactions, this article reports an atom-economical reaction using a commercial diboron(4) as the catalyst. The key to success was designing a catalytic cycle for radical [3 + 2] cycloaddition involving a pyridine cocatalyst to generate from the diboron(4) catalyst and reversibly mediate the transfer of boronyl radicals. In comparison with known [3 + 2] cycloaddition with transition metal-based catalysts, the current reaction features not only metal-free conditions, inexpensive and stable catalysts, and simple operation but also remarkably broadened substrate scope. In particular, previously unusable cyclopropyl ketones without an activating group and/or alkenes with 1,2-disubstitution and 1,1,2-trisubstitution patterns were successfully used for the first time. Consequently, challenging cyclopentane compounds with various levels of substitution (65 examples, 57 new products, up to six substituents at all five ring atoms) were readily prepared in generally high to excellent yield and diastereoselectivity. The reaction was also successfully applied in concise formal synthesis of an anti-obesity drug and building natural product-like complex bridged or spirocyclic compounds. Mechanistic experiments and computational investigation support the proposed radical relay catalysis featuring a pyridine-assisted boronyl radical catalyst. Overall, this work demonstrates the first approach to use tetraalkoxydiboron(4) compounds as catalysts and may lead to the development of new, green, and efficient transition metal-like boron-catalyzed organic reactions.

Decarboxylative Borylation and Cross-Coupling of (Hetero)aryl Acids Enabled by Copper Charge Transfer Catalysis

We report a copper-catalyzed strategy for arylboronic ester synthesis that exploits photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) to convert (hetero)aryl acids into aryl radicals amenable to ambient-temperature borylation. This near-UV process occurs under mild conditions, requires no prefunctionalization of the native acid, and operates broadly across diverse aryl, heteroaryl, and pharmaceutical substrates. We also report a one-pot procedure for decarboxylative cross-coupling that merges catalytic LMCT borylation and palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura arylation, vinylation, or alkylation with organobromides to access a range of value-added products. The utility of these protocols is highlighted through the development of a heteroselective double-decarboxylative C(sp²)-C(sp²) coupling sequence, pairing copper-catalyzed LMCT borylation and halogenation processes of two distinct acids (including pharmaceutical substrates) with subsequent Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling.

Predicting Dinitrogen Activation by Five-Electron Boron-Centered Radicals

Due to the high bond dissociation energy (945 kJ mol^-1) and the large highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gap (10.8 eV), dinitrogen activation under mild conditions is extremely challenging. On the other hand, the conventional Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis under harsh conditions consumes more than 1% of the world's annual energy supply. Thus, it is important and urgent to develop an alternative approach for dinitrogen activation under mild conditions. In comparison with transition metals, main group compounds are less explored for nitrogen activation. Here, we carry out density functional theory calculation to screen boron radicals for dinitrogen activation. As a result, the experimentally available seven-electron boron-centered radicals are found to be inactive to N₂ activation, whereas some five-electron boron-centered radicals become favorable for dinitrogen activation, inviting experimental chemists' examination. The principal interacting spin-orbital analyses suggest that a five-electron boron-centered radical can mimic a transition metal on a synergic interaction with dinitrogen in the transition states.

Electrochemical borylation of carboxylic acids

A simple electrochemically mediated method for the conversion of alkyl carboxylic acids to their borylated congeners is presented. This protocol features an undivided cell setup with inexpensive carbon-based electrodes and exhibits a broad substrate scope and scalability in both flow and batch reactors. The use of this method in challenging contexts is exemplified with a modular formal synthesis of jawsamycin, a natural product harboring five cyclopropane rings.

A radical approach for the selective C-H borylation of azines

Boron functional groups are often introduced in place of aromatic carbon-hydrogen bonds to expedite small-molecule diversification through coupling of molecular fragments^1-3. Current approaches based on transition-metal-catalysed activation of carbon-hydrogen bonds are effective for the borylation of many (hetero)aromatic derivatives^4,5 but show narrow applicability to azines (nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycles), which are key components of many pharmaceutical and agrochemical products⁶. Here we report an azine borylation strategy using stable and inexpensive amine-borane⁷ reagents. Photocatalysis converts these low-molecular-weight materials into highly reactive boryl radicals⁸ that undergo efficient addition to azine building blocks. This reactivity provides a mechanistically alternative tactic for sp² carbon-boron bond assembly, where the elementary steps of transition-metal-mediated carbon-hydrogen bond activation and reductive elimination from azine-organometallic intermediates are replaced by a direct, Minisci⁹-style, radical addition. The strongly nucleophilic character of the amine-boryl radicals enables predictable and site-selective carbon-boron bond formation by targeting the azine's most activated position, including the challenging sites adjacent to the basic nitrogen atom. This approach enables access to aromatic sites that elude current strategies based on carbon-hydrogen bond activation, and has led to borylated materials that would otherwise be difficult to prepare. We have applied this process to the introduction of amine-borane functionalities to complex and industrially relevant products. The diversification of the borylated azine products by mainstream cross-coupling technologies establishes aromatic amino-boranes as a powerful class of building blocks for chemical synthesis.

Photoinduced Borylation for the Synthesis of Organoboron Compounds

Organoboron compounds have important synthetic value and can be applied in numerous transformations. The development of practical and convenient ways to synthesize boronate esters has thus attracted significant interest. Photoinduced borylations originated from stoichiometric reactions of alkanes and arenes with well-defined metal-boryl complexes. Now, photoredox-initiated borylations, catalyzed by either transition metal or organic photocatalysts, and photochemical borylations with high efficiency have become a burgeoning area of research. In this Focus Review, we summarize research on photoinduced borylations, especially emphasizing recent developments and trends. This includes the photoinduced borylation of arenes, alkanes, aryl/alkyl halides, activated carboxylic acids, amines, alcohols, and so on based on transition metal catalysis, metal-free organocatalysis, and direct photochemical activation. We focus on reaction mechanisms involving single-electron transfer, triplet-energy transfer, and other radical processes.

Visible-Light-Induced Selective Defluoroborylation of Polyfluoroarenes, gem-Difluoroalkenes, and Trifluoromethylalkenes

Fluorinated organoboranes serve as versatile synthetic precursors for the preparation of value-added fluorinated organic compounds. Recent progress has been mainly focused on the transition-metal catalyzed defluoroborylation. Herein, we report a photocatalytic defluoroborylation platform through direct B-H activation of N-heterocyclic carbene boranes, through the synergistic merger of a photoredox catalyst and a hydrogen atom transfer catalyst. This atom-economic and operationally simple protocol has enabled defluoroborylation of an extremely broad scope of multifluorinated substrates including polyfluoroarenes, gem-difluoroalkenes, and trifluoromethylalkenes in a highly selective fashion. Intriguingly, the defluoroborylation protocol can be transition-metal free, and the regioselectivity obtained is complementary to the reported transition-metal-catalysis in many cases.

Photoinduced Single-Electron Transfer as an Enabling Principle in the Radical Borylation of Alkenes with NHC-Borane

A photoinduced SET process enables the direct B-H bond activation of NHC-boranes. In contrast to common hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) strategies, this photoinduced reaction simply takes advantage of the beneficial redox potentials of NHC-boranes, thus obviating the need for extra radical initiators. The resulting NHC-boryl radical was used for the borylation of a wide range of α-trifluoromethylalkenes and alkenes with diverse electronic and structural features, providing facile access to highly functionalized borylated molecules. Labeling and photoquenching experiments provide insight into the mechanism of this photoinduced SET pathway.

EPR and Preparative Studies of 5- endo Cyclizations of Radicals Derived from Alkenyl NHC-Boranes Bearing tert-Butyl Ester Substituents

Radical H atom abstraction from a set of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of alkenylboranes bearing two tert-butyl ester substituents was studied by EPR spectroscopy. The initial boraallyl radical intermediates rapidly ring closed onto the O atoms of their distal ester groups in 5- endo mode to yield 1,2-oxaborole radicals. Unexpectedly, two structural varieties of these radicals were identified from their EPR spectra. These proved to be two stable rotamers, in which the carbonyl group of the tert-butyl ester was oriented toward and away from the NHC ring. These rotamers were akin to the s- trans and s- cis rotamers of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Their stability was attributed to the quasi-allylic interaction of their unpaired electrons with the carbonyl units of their adjacent ester groups. EPR spectroscopic evidence for two rotamers of the analogous methyl ester containing NHC-oxaborole radicals was also obtained. An improved synthetic procedure for preparing rare NHC-boralactones was developed involving treatment of the alkenyl NHC-boranes with AIBN and tert-dodecanethiol.

Isolable diboryl radicals acting as highly efficient reaction intermediates under mild conditions

Activation of the B–B bond in diborane with dimesitylpyridyl boranes afforded the stable diboryl radicals in moderate yields.

5- Endo Cyclizations of NHC-Boraallyl Radicals Bearing Ester Substituents: Characterization of Derived 1,2-Oxaborole Radicals and Boralactones

EPR studies of radical hydrogen abstraction reactions of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of alkenylboranes bearing two ester substituents revealed not the expected boraallyl radicals but instead isomeric 1,2-oaxborole radicals. Such radicals are new, and DFT calculations show that they arise from the initially formed boraallyl radicals by a rapid, exothermic 5- endo cyclization. These spectroscopic and computational discoveries prompted a series of preparative experiments that provided access to a novel family of robust NHC-boralactones. A one-pot procedure was developed to access the boralactones directly from an NHC-borane (NHC-BH₃) and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.

Photoinduced Deaminative Borylation of Alkylamines

An operationally simple deaminative borylation reaction of primary alkylamines has been developed. The formation of electron-donor-acceptor complexes between N-alkylpyridinium salts and bis(catecholato)diboron enables photoinduced single-electron transfer and fragmentation to carbon-centered radicals, which are subsequently borylated. The mild conditions allow a diverse range of readily available alkylamines to be efficiently converted into synthetically valuable alkylboronic esters under catalyst-free conditions.

Boryl Radicals-Triggered Selective C-H Functionalization for the Synthesis of Diverse Phenanthridine Derivatives

A boryl radical-triggered C-H functionalization of aliphatic ethers/amines or DMF with isocyanides is developed to deliver diverse phenanthridine derivatives in good to excellent yields. The substrate scope is broad, and a wide range of functional groups are tolerated under the standard conditions. The rapid removal of HBPin species by 4-cyanopyridine 1-oxide provides the driving force for this reaction. This new method should make boryl radicals widely applicable in organic synthesis.

Radical Deuteration with D2O: Catalysis and Mechanistic Insights

Selective incorporation of deuterium atoms into molecules is of high interest for labeling purposes and for optimizing properties of drug candidates. A mild and environmentally benign method for the deuteration of alkyl iodides via radical pathway using D₂O as source of deuterium has been developed. The reaction is initiated and mediated by triethylborane in the presence of dodecanethiol as a catalyst. This method is compatible with a wide range of functional groups and provides the monodeuterated products in good yields and with a high level of deuterium incorporation. It opens promising opportunities for the development of enantioselective radical reactions. Moreover, a revision of the mechanism of the deoxygenation reaction of xanthates using R₃B and water (Wood deoxygenation) is presented.

N-Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes are Hydrogen Donors in Masamune-Bergman Reactions of Benzo[3,4]cyclodec-3-ene-1,5-diynes

Thermal reactions of benzo[3,4]cyclodec-3-ene-1,5-diyne with N-heterocyclic carbene boranes (NHC-boranes) provided mixtures of 9-borylated 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracenes along with 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene. These products indicate that NHC-boranes serve as hydrogen donors to a p-benzyne intermediate formed by the Masamune-Bergman reaction. Experimental results support a radical mechanism in nonpolar solvents, but suggest that ionic mechanisms compete in the production of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene when the reaction is performed in a polar solvent.

Aminopyridine-Borane Complexes as Hydrogen Atom Donor Reagents: Reaction Mechanism and Substrate Selectivity

Lewis base-borane complexes are shown to be potent hydrogen atom donors in radical chain reduction reactions. Results obtained in ¹ H, ¹¹ B, and ¹³ C NMR measurements and kinetic experiments support a complex reaction mechanism involving the parent borane as well as its initial reaction products as active hydrogen atom donors. Efficient reduction reactions of iodides, bromides, and xanthates in apolar solvents rely on initiator systems generating oxygen-centered radicals under thermal conditions and pyridine-borane complexes carrying solubilizing substituents. In contrast to tin hydride reagents, the pyridine-boranes reduce xanthates faster than the corresponding iodides.

Borylative Radical Cyclizations of Benzo[3,4]cyclodec-3-ene-1,5-diynes and N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Boranes

Borylative radical cyclization of benzo[3,4]cyclodec-3-ene-1,5-diynes to provide 5-borylated 6,7,8,9-tetrahydrobenzo[a]azulenes has been developed. The experimental results suggest that the reaction proceeds by a radical chain mechanism, in which di-tert-butyl hyponitrite (TBHN) works as a good radical initiator to form boryl radicals from N-heterocyclic carbene-boranes (NHC-boranes). The present reaction is a rare model that illustrates addition of boryl radicals to alkynes.

Electrophilicity and Nucleophilicity of Boryl Radicals

We carried out a survey of the relative reactivity of a collection of 91 neutral boryl radicals using density functional calculations. Their reactivities were characterized by four indices, i.e., the global electrophilicity, global nucleophilicity, local electrophilicity, and local nucleophilicity. Particularly, the global electrophilicity and nucleophilicity indices span over a moderately wider range than those of carbon radicals, indicating their potentially broader reactivity. Thus, boryl radicals may be utilized in electrophilic radical reactions, while traditionally they are only considered for nucleophilic radical reactions. In contrast, the local electrophilicity and nucleophilicity indices at the boron center show a different reactivity picture than their global counterparts. The inconsistency is rooted in the low and varying spin density on boron (for most radicals, less than 50%) in different boryl radicals, which is a combinative result of radical stabilization via electron delocalization and the low electronegativity of boron (compared to carbon). In short, the boron character in boryl radicals may be weak and their reactivity is not reflected by the local indices based on boron but by the global ones.

Reduction of a diamidocarbene-supported borenium cation: isolation of a neutral boryl-substituted radical and a carbene-stabilized aminoborylene

We have synthesized the first diamidocarbene (DAC)-supported borenium salt which was found to readily undergo two sequential 1-electron reductions to give a boryl-substituted DAC-centred radical and a DAC-supported aminoborylene.

Influence of Electronic Effects on the Reactivity of Triazolylidene-Boryl Radicals: Consequences for the use of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes in Organic and Polymer Synthesis

A small library of triazolylidene-boranes that differ only in the nature of the aryl group on the external nitrogen atom was prepared. Their reactivity as hydrogen-atom donors, as well as that of the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-boryl radicals toward methyl acrylate and oxygen, was investigated by laser flash photolysis, molecular orbital calculations, and ESR spin-trapping experiments, and benchmarked relative to the already known dimethyltriazolylidene-borane. The new NHC-boranes were also used as co-initiators for the Type I photopolymerization of acrylates. This allowed a structure-reactivity relationship with regard to the substitution pattern of the NHC to be established and the role of electronic effects in the reactivity of NHC-boryl radicals to be probed. Although their rate of addition to methyl acrylate depends on their electronegativity, the radicals are all nucleophilic and good initiators for photopolymerization reactions.

A Comparison of the Lewis Basicity of Diamidocarbenes and Diaminocarbenes

In this study, density functional theory calculations, using the M06-2X functional, were performed to investigate the efficiencies of various carbenes in inducing hydrogen abstraction in BH3 through the formation of a Lewis acid–base pair with BH3. The density functional theory results indicate that diamidocarbenes are more efficient in reducing the B–H bond energy of BH3 than diaminocarbenes. Natural bond orbital and combined charge and bond energy analyses were performed to investigate the Lewis acid–base pair formed by BH3 and the title carbenes.

Insertion of reactive rhodium carbenes into boron-hydrogen bonds of stable N-heterocyclic carbene boranes

Readily available rhodium(II) salts catalyze reactions between NHC-boranes (NHC-BH3) and diazocarbonyl compounds (N2CRCOR'). Stable α-NHC-boryl carbonyl compounds (NHC-BH2-CHRCOR') are isolated in good yields. The reaction is a reliable way to make boron-carbon bonds with good tolerance for variation in both the NHC-borane and diazocarbonyl components. It presumably occurs by insertion of a transient rhodium carbene into a boron-hydrogen bond of the NHC-borane. Competitive experiments show that a typical NHC-borane is highly reactive toward rhodium carbenes.

Mechanistic and preparative studies of radical chain homolytic substitution reactions of N-heterocyclic carbene boranes and disulfides

Reactions of 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene-borane (diMe-Imd-BH3) and related NHC-boranes with diaryl and diheteroaryl disulfides provide diverse NHC-boryl monosulfides (diMe-Imd-BH2SAr) and NHC-boryl disulfides (diMe-Imd-BH(SAr)2). Heating in the dark with 1 equiv of disulfide favors monosulfide formation, while irradiation with 2 equiv disulfide favors disulfide formation. With heteroaryl disulfides, the NHC-borane in the primary NHC-boryl sulfide product migrates from sulfur to nitrogen to give new products with a thioamide substructure. Most substitution reactions are thought to proceed through radical chains in which homolytic substitution of a disulfide by an NHC-boryl radical is a key step. However, with electrophilic disulfides under dark conditions, a competing ionic path may also be possible.