Copper Boryl Research Articles

Copper Catalyzed Borylation of Alkynes: An Experimental Mechanistic Study.

The copper catalyzed hydroboration of alkynes with B2pin2 was studied by in detail studies of individual relevant steps along the catalytic pathway. A number of reaction steps were retraced by in situ NMR spectroscopy as well as central intermediates and side-products were isolated and comprehensively characterized. A copper boryl complex is central to the catalytic process by inserting the terminal alkyne substrate into the B-Cu bond. The selectivity of this step - depending on the NHC auxiliary ligand - determines the α/β selectivity observed in the product. The latter complex is protonated by the auxiliary alcohol reagent resulting in hydroboration product formation and formation of a Cu alkoxido complex. Reaction of the latter with B2pin2 results in the regeneration of the central copper boryl complex. This alcoholysis step depends on the acidity of the alcohol, in particular on the relative acidity of the alcohol vs. the alkyne substrate. A number of side reactions leading to the hydrogenation product of the alkyne substrate and a bis hydroborated product were identified and studied in some detail. It is concluded that the performance of a particular catalytic system depends crucially on the relative acidities of the reagents and generalizations may be difficult.

Updated Progress of the Copper-Catalyzed Borylative Functionalization of Unsaturated Molecules.

Borylation has become a powerful method to synthesize organoboranes as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and materials science. Copper-promoted borylation reactions are extremely attractive due to the low cost and non-toxicity of the copper catalyst, mild reaction conditions, good functional group tolerance, and convenience in chiral induction. In this review, we mainly updated recent advances (from 2020 to 2022) in the synthetic transformations in C=C/C≡C multiple bonds, and C=E multiple bonds mediated by copper boryl systems.

A stable ring-expanded NHC-supported copper boryl and its reactivity towards heterocumulenes.

Reaction of bis(pinacolato)diboron with (6-Dipp)CuOtBu generates a ring-expanded N-heterocyclic carbene supported copper(I) boryl, (6-Dipp)CuBpin. This compound showed remarkable stability and was characterised by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. (6-Dipp)CuBpin readily dechalcogenated a range of heterocumulenes such as CO2, isocyanates and isothiocyanates to yield (6-Dipp)CuXBpin (X = O, S). In the case of CO2 catalytic reduction to CO is viable in the presence of excess bis(pinacolato)diboron. In contrast, in the case of iso(thio)cyanates, the isocyanide byproduct of dechalcogenation reacted with (6-Dipp)CuBpin to generate a copper(I) borylimidinate, (6-Dipp)CuC(NR)Bpin, which went on to react with heterocumulenes. This off-cycle reactivity gives selective access to a range of novel boron-containing heterocycles bonded to copper, but precludes catalytic reactivity.

Stability and decomposition of copper(i) boryl complexes: [(IDipp)Cu–Bneop], [(IDipp*)Cu–Bneop] and copper clusters

Synthesis and characterisation of NHC copper boryl complexes [(NHC)Cu–Bneop] and their decomposition to low-valent copper clusters.

Syntheses, Structures, and Reactivity of NHC Copper(I) Boryl Complexes: A Systematic Study

Five novel NHC copper(I) boryl complexes were synthesized by B–B activation via σ-bond metathesis of symmetrical tetraalkoxy and unsymmetrical dialkoxy diamino diborane(4) derivatives. Despite their low stability, the NHC copper boryl complexes were thoroughly characterized spectroscopically and structurally. Variation of the NHC ligand (ItBu or Me2IiPr) as well as of the boryl ligand (Bpin, Bdmab, or BiPrEn) allowed, for the first time systematically, a study in such complexes of the dependence on steric encumbrance. For sterically more demanding ligand combinations, mononuclear linear complexes were obtained, while with less demanding ligand combinations, dimeric dinuclear complexes with two bridging μ-boryl ligands were obtained, exhibiting extremely short Cu···Cu distances (<2.26 A). The decomposition of all these complexes was found to proceed via a common pathway, leading ultimately to elemental copper, the free NHC ligand, and the respective symmetrical diborane(4) derivative. The rate of decomposi...

Elusive Phosphine Copper(I) Boryl Complexes: Synthesis, Structures, and Reactivity

We report the first isolation of phosphine copper boryl complexes—species pivotal to numerous copper-catalyzed borylation reactions. The reaction of diboron(4) derivatives with copper tert-butoxide complexes of phosphine ligands allows the isolation of the dimeric μ-boryl-bridged Cu(I) complexes [(iPr3P)Cu–Bdmab]2 (4) and [(C6H4(Ph2P)2)Cu–Bpin]2 (6) with Cu···Cu distances of 2.24–2.27 A (dmab = (NMe)2C6H4, pin = (OCMe2)2)). A slightly more sterically demanding boryl ligand furnishes the unprecedented multinuclear copper boryl complex [(iPr3P)2Cu8(B(iPrEn))3(OtBu)3] (5), a potential intermediate of the decomposition of an initial Cu(I) boryl complex (iPrEn = (NiPr)2C2H4). All complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. DFT computations support the nature of these unique complexes and give insight into their electronic structures.

A mild copper catalyzed method for the selective deprotection of aryl allyl ethers

Copper boryl reagents enable the selective cleavage of aryl allyl ethers to the corresponding phenols in good to moderate yields.

Synthesis and further reactivity studies of some transition metal gallyl complexes

Reactions of the anionic gallium(I) heterocycle salt, [K(tmeda)][Ga(DAB)] (DAB = {N(Dip)C(H)} 2; Dip = C 6H 3Pr i 2-2,6), with a series of groups 6–9 and 11 metal halide complexes have given rise to the metal gallyl complexes, [CpCr(IMes){Ga(DAB)}] (IMes = :C{(Mes)NC(H)} 2; Mes = mesityl), [M(tmeda){Ga(DAB)} 2] (M = Mn, Fe or Co) and [Cu(dppe){Ga(DAB)}] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane). The majority of the complexes have been crystallographically characterized. The reactivity of the previously reported copper(I) gallyl complex, [(IPr)Cu{Ga(DAB)}] (IPr = :C{(Dip)NC(H)} 2), towards a variety of unsaturated substrates has been explored. Three crystallographically characterized complexes have arisen from this phase of the study, viz. [(IPr)CuC CPh], [(IPr)Cu{Ga(DAB)}(C NBu t)] and [(IPr)Cu{κ 1-OC(O)C( CNHDip)(NHDip)}]. The results of these investigations show that the reactivity of [(IPr)Cu{Ga(DAB)}] is significantly different to that of related copper boryl complexes.