Reactivity of some poly-1-alkynylsilicon and -tin compounds towards triallylborane—routes to novel heterocycles

One-Pot Synthesis of 2,5-Dihydrosiloles and Their Silole-Annulated Analogs Starting from Alkynylsilanes with a Terminal Alkynyl Group

In contrast to the reaction of vinyl(alkynyl)silanes with 9-BBN-H, leading to the quantitative formation of 5-R-4-(9-BBN)-2,3-dihydro-1H-siloles, treatment of bis(alkynyl)silanes bearing one terminal alkynyl group with 2 equiv of 9-BBN-H followed by methanolysis afforded 5-R-4-(9-BBN)-2,5-dihydro-1H-siloles with yields of 85-90% (by NMR integration). The reaction proceeds via a double 1,2-hydroboration of the terminal triple bond with the formation of the geminal diborane followed by ring closure via intramolecular 1,1-carboboration of the remaining alkynyl fragment. Depending on the nature of the substituent R in position 5, the allylic BBN group locates in position 3 (R = Ph) or position 5 (R = SiHMe₂, SiMe₃) to give 2,3- or 2,5-dihydrosiloles, respectively. The protodeborylation of the allylic BBN group with MeOH of both 3,4-(9-BBN)₂-2,3-dihydro- and 4,5-(9-BBN)₂-2,5-dihydrosiloles results in the exclusive formation of 4-(9-BBN)-2,5-dihydrosiloles. In all cases, the formation of 10-12% of 2-R-2,4-(9-BBN)₂-2,3-dihydrosilole minor isomers has been observed, which occurs from vicinal diboranes formed as side products by a second hydroboration of the terminal triple bond. Similarly, treatment of the tri- and tetraalkynes containing a terminal triple bond with 2 equiv of 9-BBN-H followed by treatment with methanol resulted in the high-yield formation of 1,2,6,6a-tetrahydro-1,6-disilapentalenes and 2,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1,6,7-trisila-1H-cyclopenta[a]pentalenes, respectively.

An Unusual and Facile Synthetic Route to Alumoles

Reaction of the aluminum dialkynyl LAl(CCR)₂ (L=N,N‐chelate ligand and R=organic group) with B(C₆F₅)₃ proceeds through an intermediate with Al⋅⋅⋅η²‐C≡C side‐on coordination to form the alumoles (2, 4, 6). A distinctive reaction pattern indicates a new facile synthetic route to aluminum‐containing heterocycles. The synthetic process is described, and the characterization of compounds and computational calculations were carried out. Furthermore, alumoles 2 and 4 exhibit an aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) of the bright yellow fluorescence.

Advanced 1,1-carboboration reactions with pentafluorophenylboranes

The advanced 1,1-carboboration reaction converts alkynes to alkenylboranes and allows a variety of sequential ring forming reactions of bis(alkynyl) compounds.

The 1,1 carboboration reaction of a variety of metal-substituted alkynes with simple trialkylboranes R₃B yields the respective alkenylboranes (Wrackmeyer reaction). The use of the strongly electrophilic R-B(C₆F₅)₂ reagents allows for much milder reaction conditions and gives good yields of the respective bulky alkenylboranes from conventional terminal alkynes by means of 1,2-hydride migration. Even internal alkynes undergo 1,1-carboboration with the R-B(C₆F₅)₂ reagents, in this case yielding alkenylboranes by means of C–C bond cleavage. Phosphorus, sulfur or even boron containing substituents can serve as the migrating alkynyl substituents in the advanced 1,1-carboboration reactions using the R-B(C₆F₅)₂ reagents. Sequential 1,1-carboboration of geminal bis(alkynyl) derivatives of these elements with the R-B(C₆F₅)₂ boranes yields boryl substituted phospholes, thiophenes or even boroles in quite a variety. Vicinal bis(alkynyl)arenes or heteroarene substrates undergo benzannulation reactions in this way. Many of the -B(C₆F₅)₂ substituted 1,1-carboboration products can be used as reagents in cross coupling reactions. A recently disclosed organometallic analogue, namely a 1,1-carbozirconation reaction is described.

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.

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Studies of Arylethynylsilanes

A variety of arylethynylsilanes (Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)(n)SiMe(4-n) were prepared successfully by reaction of the corresponding chlorosilanes Me(4-n)SiCl(n) with Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]CM (M = Li, MgBr), which was prepared by treatment of ethynyl(diarylethyne)s Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]CH with BuLi or MeMgBr. The ethynyl(diarylethyne)s were readily prepared in good yields by the double-elimination method: addition of lithium hexamethyldisilazide to a mixture of ArCH2SO2Ph, TMS-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-CHO, and ClP(O)(OEt)2, followed by desilylation. In the tetrakis(arylethynyl)silanes (Ar-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)4Si thus prepared, through-space conjugation of four triple bonds on the silicon atom emerges as a result of participation of the silicon orbitals in the acetylenic pi orbitals. This participation enhances the emissive quantum yields of arylethynylsilanes with an increase in the number of arylethynyl moieties on silicon: quantum yields of emission (phiF) of 0.72 for (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)4Si, 0.53 for (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C)2SiMe2, and 0.47 for MeO-C6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]CSiMe3 were obtained. Although this enhancement effect was also observed in the phenylethynylarylsilane (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4)2SiMe2, the bis(arylethynyl)disilane (MeOC6H4-C[triple bond]C-C6H4-C[triple bond]C-SiMe2)2 exhibited non-enhanced emission.