Boronic acid building blocks: tools for sensing and separation

In this feature article the use of boronic acids to monitor, identify and isolate analytes within physiological, environmental and industrial scenarios is discussed. Boronic acids recognise diol motifs through boronic ester formation and interact with anions generating boronates, as such they have been exploited in sensing and separation protocols for diol appended molecules such as saccharides and anions alike. Therefore robust molecular sensors with the capacity to detect chosen molecules selectively and signal their presence continues to attract substantial attention, and boronic acids have been exploited with some success to monitor the presence of various analytes. Reversible boronic acid-diol interactions have also been exploited in boron affinity chromatography realising new separation domains through the same binding events. Boronic acid diol and anion interactions pertaining to sensing and separation are surveyed.     

Boronic Acids as Bioorthogonal Probes for Site‐Selective Labeling of Proteins

Over the past two decades, bioorthogonal chemistry has become a preferred tool to achieve site‐selective modifications of proteins. However, there are only a handful of commonly applied bioorthogonal reactions and they display some limitations, such as slow rates, use of unstable or cytotoxic reagents, and side reactions. Hence, there is significant interest in expanding the bioorthogonal chemistry toolbox. In this regard, boronic acids have recently been introduced in bioorthogonal chemistry and are exploited in three different strategies: 1) boronic ester formation between a boronic acid and a 1,2‐cis diol; 2) iminoboronate formation between 2‐acetyl/formyl‐arylboronic acids and hydrazine/hydroxylamine/semicarbazide derivatives; 3) use of boronic acids as transient groups in a Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling or other reactions that leave the boronyl group off the conjugation product. In this Review, we summarize progress made in the use of boronic acids in bioorthogonal chemistry to enable site‐selective labeling of proteins and compare these methods with the most commonly utilized bioorthogonal reactions.     

Asymmetric homologation of boronic esters bearing azido and silyloxy substituents

In the asymmetric homologation of boronic esters with a (dihalomethyl)lithium, substituents that can bind metal cations tend to interfere. Accordingly, we undertook the introduction of weakly basic oxygen and nitrogen substituents into boronic esters in order to maximize the efficiency of multistep syntheses utilizing this chemistry. Silyloxy boronic esters cannot be made efficiently by direct substitution, but a (hydroxymethyl)boronic ester has been silylated in the usual manner. Conversion of alpha-halo boronic esters to alpha-azido boronic esters has been carried out with sodium azide and a tetrabutylammonium salt as phase-transfer catalyst in a two-phase system with water and either nitromethane or ethyl acetate. These are safer solvents than the previously used dichloromethane, which can form an explosive byproduct with azide ion. Boronic esters containing silyloxy or alkoxy and azido substituents have been shown to react efficiently with (dihalomethyl)lithiums, resulting in efficient asymmetric insertion of the halomethyl group into the carbon-boron bond.     

Structures of carbohydrate-boronic acid complexes determined by NMR and molecular modelling in aqueous alkaline media

The structures of thermodynamically stable aromatic boronic acid : cyclic carbohydrate chelates in aqueous alkaline media have been studied using 1H NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. It is found that interacting saccharides must necessarily possess a synperiplanar diol functionality for complexation to occur. While this is possible for furanose structures which tend to have a puckered planar geometry, for pyranose forms it is postulated that bis-complexation occurs with twist conformers of the pyranose ring, providing the ring has the requisite 1,2 : 3,4 polyol stereochemistry; specifically axial,equatorial : equatorial,axial or equatorial,axial : axial,equatorial orientations. In this respect it is possible to be predictive with regard to individual carbohydrate boronic acid interactions and to give reasonably comprehensive structural assignments to complexed components. In this paper twenty four polyhydroxy compounds have been screened using 1H NMR to monitor complexation along with computational techniques on a model system to substantiate proposed structures. It has been found that all of these materials interact with aromatic mono boronic acids as expected and structures for the resulting chelates are proposed.     

Brønsted Acid and H-Bond Activation in Boronic Acid Catalysis

Boronic acid catalysis has emerged as a mild method for promoting a wide variety of reactions. It has been proposed that the mode of catalysis involves Lewis acid or covalent activation of hydroxyl groups by boron, but limited mechanistic evidence exists. In this work, representative boronic acid catalyzed reactions of alcohols and oximes have been reinvestigated. A series of control experiments with boronic and Brønsted acids were interpreted along with correlations between their reactivity and their acidity measured by the Gutmann–Beckett method. Overall, it was concluded that the major modes of catalysis involve either dual H-bond catalysis or Brønsted acid catalysis. Strong Brønsted acids were shown to be generated in situ from covalent assembly of the boronic acids with hexafluoroisopropanol, explaining why the solvent had such a major impact on the reactivity. This new insight should guide the future development of boronic acid catalysis, where the diverse and solvent-specific nature of catalytic modes has been overlooked.     

Synthesis of a (β-acetamido-α-acetoxyethyl)boronic ester via azido boronic esters

(Azidomethyl)boronic esters of 1,2-dicyclohexyl-1,2-ethanediol (“DICHED”) and pinanediol have been prepared from the corresponding (bromomethyl)boronic esters. Conversion to (2-azido-1-chloro- or bromoethyl)boronic esters by reaction with a (dihalomethyl)lithium followed. Attempted displacement of halide from DICHED (2-azido-1-haloethyl)boronates with alkoxides failed. Reaction of either pinanediol or DICHED (2-azido-1-chloromethyl)boronate with sodium acetate in acetic acid yielded the 1-acetoxy derivative as a ∼1:1 mixture of diastereomers, indicating probable involvement of an α-boryl carbocation intermediate. Hydrogenation of the pinanediol azido boronic ester over platinum in a solution of hydrogen chloride in dioxane was accompanied by deacetylation to form the impure (2-amino-1-hydroxyethyl)boronic ester hydrochloride. Attempted purification of this material resulted in deboronation to ethanolamine. Acetylation yielded pinanediol (2-acetamido-1-acetoxyethyl)boronate.     

多孔有机骨架材料对顺式二醇化合物富集分离的研究进展

基于在碱性环境下硼酸能与顺式二醇化合物可逆共价结合形成稳定的五元或六元环酯,而在酸性环境下环酯开环释放顺式二醇化合物这一特性,设计合成高效、高选择性、高富集性能的硼亲和材料的研究备受关注。近年来,许多研究工作者合成了各种类型的硼亲和材料,应用于高选择性富集顺式二醇化合物。金属有机骨架(MOFs)和共价有机骨架(COFs)由于具有孔径可调、高孔隙率、高比表面积、骨架结构可调和化学及热稳定性良好等特点,被广泛应用于色谱分离和样品前处理领域。为赋予MOFs和COFs材料对顺式二醇化合物的富集选择性,各种不同结构和不同种类的硼酸修饰的MOFs和COFs被合成出来。该综述主要是对近几年来80余篇源于科学引文索引关于硼酸功能化MOFs和COFs的种类、合成方法及其应用文章的总结,包括“金属配体-片段共组装”“合成后修饰”和“自下而上”的硼酸功能化多孔材料的修饰策略,以及硼酸功能化MOFs和COFs的种类,介绍了其在化学分析和生物分析领域的发展概况和应用前景,客观评价了硼酸功能化MOFs和COFs的区别和优缺点。该文旨在让研究人员能够充分了解近几年硼酸功能化多孔有机骨架材料的研究现状、掌握合成思路和方法,为其应用提供一定的理论指导和技术支撑,为加快硼酸功能化多孔有机骨架材料的商业化脚步贡献绵薄之力。     

The Development of Boronic Acids as Sensors and Separation Tools

Synthetic receptors for diols that incorporate boronic acid motifs have been developed as new sensors and separation tools. Utilizing the reversible interactions of diols with boronic acids to form boronic esters under new binding regimes has provided new hydrogel constructs that have found use as dye‐displacement sensors and electrophoretic separation tools; similarly, molecular boronic‐acid‐containing chemosensors were constructed that offer applications in the sensing of diols. This review provides a somewhat‐personal perspective of developments in boronic‐acid‐mediated sensing and separation, placed in the context of the seminal works of others in the area, as well as offering a concise summary of the contributions of the co‐authors in the area. DOI 10.1002/tcr.201200006     

Scyllo-inositol as a convenient protecting group for aryl boronic acids in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

Herein, we report air- and water-stable borate complexes between scyllo-inositol and aryl boronic acids. The complexes were less reactive than free aryl boronic acids under Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction conditions; thus, the borate complexes were used as protected boronic acids. Although protecting groups for organoboronic acids are useful in coupling reactions, especially those used to produce π-conjugated molecules, only a few reports describing the use of protecting groups for boronic acids have been published. The proposed unique structural borate complex provides a novel protective method for aryl boronic acids.     

Divergent,Stereospecific Mono‐ and Difluoromethylation of Boronic Esters

There is considerable interest in incorporating fluorine into agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals to improve their biological properties. Whilst a number of methods have been reported for installing CH₂F and CHF₂ groups, they are mainly limited to radical reactions, which are invariably racemic. Herein, we report the divergent, stereospecific reaction of fluoroiodomethyllithium with boronic esters to give α‐fluoro‐boronic esters. These unique intermediates can be readily transformed into the corresponding mono‐ or difluoromethylated compounds through proto‐ or fluorodeboronation, respectively. The use of the highly unstable fluoroiodomethyllithium was key to allowing rapid 1,2‐migration over competing decomposition of the carbanion. DFT calculations informed and supported the experimental findings.     

Design and synthesis of thienylpyridyl garlands as non-peptidic alpha helix mimetics and potential protein-protein interactions disruptors

This paper describes an efficient route leading to new thienylpyridyl garlands as non-peptidic alpha helix mimetics and potential protein-protein interactions disruptors. Firstly, we have studied the reactivity of boronic acids and halogenated pyridines and/or thiophenes towards the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction in order to obtain bis-thienylpyridines. Secondly, we have functionalized these compounds by a reaction of bromination and the resultant bis-bromothienylpyridines have been found to undergo iterative Pd-catalyzed coupling based on a pseudo-Garlanding approach with a range of pyridyl boronic acids to produce a new library of thienylpyridyl oligomers.     

Convenient Preparation of Cycloalkenyl Boronic Acid Pinacol Esters

A practical method for the preparation of cycloalkenyl boronic acid pinacol esters is described. These important synthetic intermediates are typically made using more expensive methods like transition metal-catalyzed borylation of alkenyl halides or triflates. In this work, they are obtained from the simple corresponding cycloalkanones, which are subjected to Shapiro reaction conditions followed by trapping with a borate ester. The requisite products are obtained in very good to excellent yields, and the reactions can be scaled up to multigram amounts. By providing a simple alternative to common methods that make use of expensive transition-metal catalysts and formation of sensitive intermediates, this convenient method will be useful for the synthesis of ring-containing partners for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling and other reactions employing boronic esters as substrates.     

A C-h borylation approach to suzuki-miyaura coupling of typically unstable 2-heteroaryl and polyfluorophenyl boronates

A method for the synthesis of biaryls and heterobiaryls from arenes and haloarenes without the intermediacy of unstable boronic acids is described. Pinacol boronate esters that are analogous to unstable boronic acids are formed in high yield by iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation of heteroarenes and fluoroarenes. These boronates are stable in the solid state or in solution and can be generated and used in situ. They couple with aryl halides in the presence of simple palladium catalysts, providing a convenient route to biaryl and heteroaryl products that have been challenging to prepare via boronic acids.     

Fullerenyl boronic esters: ferric perchlorate-mediated synthesis and functionalization

Fullerenyl boronic esters have been prepared by a ferric perchlorate-promoted reaction of [60]fullerene with various arylboronic acids. The obtained fullerenyl boronic esters could undergo further functionalization with diols to afford C(60)-fused dioxane/dioxepane derivatives. A possible reaction mechanism for the formation of fullerenyl boronic esters has been proposed.     

Controllable Regiodivergent Alkynylation of 1,3-Bis(Boronic) Esters Activated by Distinct Organometallic Reagents

1,3-Bis(boronic) esters can be readily synthesized from alkylBpin precursors. Selective transformations of these compounds hold the potential for late-stage functionalization of the remaining C−B bond, leading to a diverse array of molecules. Currently, there are no strategies available to address the reactivity and, more importantly, the controllable regiodivergent functionalization of 1,3-bis(boronic) esters. In this study, we have achieved controllable regiodivergent alkynylation of these molecules. The regioselectivity has been clarified based on the unique chelation patterns observed with different organometallic reagents. Remarkably, this methodology effectively addresses the low reactivity of 1,3-bis(boronic) esters and bridges the gap in radical chemistry, which typically yields only the classical products formed via stable radical intermediates. Furthermore, the compounds synthesized through this approach serve as potent building blocks for creating molecular diversity.     

Novel Petasis boronic acid reactions with indoles: synthesis of indol-3-yl-aryl-acetic acids

Indoles can serve as substrates for the Petasis boronic acid-Mannich reaction, providing a practical synthetic route for C-C bond formation in α-(N-substituted indole)carboxylic acids. The scope and limitations of this method have been examined.     

Diastereoselective Petasis Mannich reactions accelerated by hexafluoroisopropanol: a pyrrolidine-derived arylglycine synthesis

A diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine-derived arylglycines has been developed using the Petasis boronic acid Mannich reaction. High diastereoselectivities in the reactions of chiral amines, aryl boronic acids, and glyoxylic acid monohydrate have been demonstrated for the first time. Key to the implementation of this method is the discovery that hexafluoroisopropanol accelerates the Petasis process, reducing reaction times from multiple days to less than 24 h.     

Toward [18F]-labeled aryltrifluoroborate radiotracers: in vivo positron emission tomography imaging of stable aryltrifluoroborate clearance in mice

The use of a boronic ester as a captor of aqueous [(18)F]-fluoride has been previously suggested as a means of labeling biomolecules in one step for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. For this approach to be seriously considered, the [(18)F]-labeled trifluoroborate should be humorally stable such that it neither leaches free [(18)F]-fluoride to the bone nor accumulates therein. Herein, we have synthesized a biotinylated boronic ester that is converted to the corresponding trifluoroborate salt in the presence of aqueous [(18)F]-fluoride. In keeping with its in vitro aqueous kinetic stability at pH 7.5, the trifluoroborate appears to clear in vivo quite rapidly to the bladder as the stable trifluoroborate salt with no detectable leaching of free [(18)F]-fluoride to the bone. When this labeled biotin is preincubated with avidin, the pharmacokinetic clearance of the resulting complex is visibly altered. This work validates initial claims that boronic esters are potentially useful as readily labeled precursors to [(18)F]-PET reagents.     

Saccharide Sensing with Molecular Receptors Based on Boronic Acid

The lock-and-key principle of natural systems is based on complex interactions like hydrogen bonding. Many synthetic systems that attempt to mimic natural systems have also used hydrogen bonding as the main binding force and have met with great success in non-hydrogen-bonding solvents that do not compete with the guest for the binding pocket. In contrast, natural systems function in water, a very competitive solvent. Synthetic hydrogen-bonding systems may yet evolve to be successful in water. If this transition can not be made, synthetic answers can nevertheless take inspiration from nature without slavishly following the blue print. This is not an attempt to reinvent the “lock”: a new locking mechanism merely replaces the existing one. The inspiration might be the view of the hydrogen bond as an easily reversible “covalent” bond. Screening the literature we rediscovered boronic acids, which have been known for over 100 years. Conveniently, boronic acids rapidly and reversibly form cyclic esters with diols in basic aqueous media. Saccharides and other related “keys” contain a contiguous array of cyclic alcohols. In this work we hope to demonstrate that saccharide “keys” and boronic acid “locks” can open the door to a new and exciting field of research.     

Highly enantioselective synthesis of tertiary boronic esters and their stereospecific conversion to other functional groups and quaternary stereocentres

Organoboron compounds are useful in asymmetric synthesis. We have developed an efficient methodology for the highly enantioselective synthesis of tertiary boronic esters from the corresponding secondary benzylic alcohols. Further stereospecific transformations of the boronic ester moiety are described including the preparation of tertiary alcohols, C-tertiary amines and tertiary arylalkanes. Several homologations of tertiary boronic esters have also been developed for the construction of quaternary stereocentres.