The methylation of reactive boron–halogen compounds with tetramethyl-lead
Abstract
Tetramethyl-lead in the absence of solvent readily replaces boron-attached halogen atoms by methyl groups, and boron trichloride gives trimethylboron quantitatively. Lead(II) chloride is produced when tetraboron tetrachloride is methytated, but reactions with other compounds [e.g., BF3, BCl3,NMe3, B2Cl4, and C2H2(BCl2)x(x= 2 or 4)] produce trimethyl-lead halide, and if this can form stable anionic complexes with the boron compounds concerned methylation is limited.