Transition-Metal-Free Boryl Substitution Using Silylboranes and Alkoxy Bases

Abstract

Silylboranes are used as borylation reagents for organohalides in the presence of alkoxy bases without transition-metal catalysts. PhMe2Si–B(pin) reacts with a variety of aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl halides, including sterically hindered examples, to provide the corresponding organoboronates in good yields with high borylation/silylation ratios, showing good functional group compatibility. Halogenophilic attack of a silyl nucleophile on organohalides, and subsequent nucleophilic attack on the boron electrophile are identified to be crucial, based on the results of extensive theoretical and experimental studies. This boryl­ation reaction is further applied to the first direct dimesitylboryl (BMes2) substitution of aryl halides using Ph2MeSi–BMes2 and Na(O-t-Bu), affording aryldimesitylboranes, which are regarded as an important class of compounds for organic materials.1 Introduction2 Boryl Substitution of Organohalides with PhMe2Si–B(pin)/Alkoxy Bases3 Mechanistic Investigations4 DFT Mechanistic Studies Using an Artificial Force Induced Reaction (AFIR) Method5 Dimesitylboryl Substitution of Aryl Halides with Ph2MeSi–BMes2/Na(O-t-Bu)6 Conclusion