Catalytic Triboration and Diboration of Terminal Alkynes

Abstract

Chapter two reports the catalytic triboration of terminal alkynes with B2pin2 using readily available Cu(OAc)2 and PnBu3. Various 1,1,2-triborylalkenes, a class of compounds which have been demonstrated to be potential Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) inhibitors, are obtained directly in moderate to good yields. The process features mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, and good functional group tolerance were observed. This Cu-catalyzed reaction can be conducted on a gram scale to produce the corresponding 1,1,2-triborylalkenes in modest yields. The utility of these products is demonstrated by further transformation of the C-B bonds to prepare gem-dihaloborylalkenes (F, Cl, Br), monohalodiborylalkenes (Cl, Br), and trans-diaryldiborylalkenes, which serve as important synthons and have previously been challenging to prepare. A convenient and efficient one step synthesis of 1,1,1-triborylalkanes was achieved via sequential dehydrogenative borylation and double hydroboration of terminal alkynes with HBpin (HBpin = pinacolborane) catalyzed by inexpensive and readily available Cu(OAc)2. This protocol proceeded under mild conditions, furnishing 1,1,1-tris(boronates) with wide substrate scope, excellent selectivity and good functional group tolerance, and is applicable to gram-scale synthesis without loss of yield. The 1,1,1-triborylalkanes can be used in the preparation of α-vinylboronates and borylated cyclic compounds, which are valuable but previously rare compounds. Different alkyl groups can be introduced stepwise via base-mediated deborylative alkylation to produce racemic tertiary alkyl boronates, which can be readily transformed into useful tertiary alcohols. Chapter 4 reported a NaOtBu-catalyzed mixed 1,1-diboration of terminal alkynes with an unsymmetrical diboron reagent BpinBdan. This Bronsted base-catalyzed reaction proceeds in a regio- and stereoselective fashion affording 1,1-diborylalkenes with two different boryl moieties in moderate to high yields, and is applicable to gram-scale synthesis without loss of yield or selectivity. Hydrogen bonding between the Bdan group and tBuOH is proposed to be responsible for the observed stereoselectivity. The mixed 1,1-diborylalkenes can be utilized in stereoselective Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions.