Copper-catalyzed synthesis of gem-diborylalkanes by B–H bond insertion of α-furyl boryl carbenes

Abstract

The copper-catalyzed insertion of α-furyl boryl carbenes generated from BMIDA-terminated enynones into the B–H bond of Lewis base–borane adducts offers facile and atom-economical access to gem-diborylalkanes. This protocol proceeds in moderate to excellent yields (up to 95%) under mild conditions. Moreover, the boryl group derived from Lewis base–borane adducts can be selectively transformed into a diverse array of borate groups, which together with the large-scale experiment illustrates the synthetic potential of this methodology.