Lithium Borohydride for Achiral and ­Stereospecific Reductive Boronation at Phosphorus: Lack of Electronic Effects on Stereoselective Formation of Alkoxyphosphonium Salts

Abstract

AbstractWe report LiBH4 as a preferred, simple and effective reagent for reductive boronation of achiral and racemic chlorophosphonium salts (CPS) and for diastereomeric alkoxyphosphonium salts (DAPS), both of which are, in turn, easily generated from either the corresponding phosphane or, more conveniently, the phosphane oxide. Further, we have shown that the DAPS reduction/boronation could be achieved with complete stereocontrol to give scalemic phosphane–borane directly in excellent yield and enantiomeric excess (ee). This new methodology was employed to investigate the effects of aryl substitution on the outcome of dynamic kinetic resolution of arylmethylphenylphosphanes and phosphane oxides via DAPS. It was found that substitution at the ortho position strongly affects the degree of stereoselection. However, surprisingly, we confirmed that there was no variation of stereoselectivity seen with the electronic effect of substituents on the para position.