B(C6F5)3‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Oxime Ethers without Cleavage of the NO Bond

The hydrogenation of oximes and oxime ethers is usually hampered by N? O bond cleavage, hence affording amines rather than hydroxylamines. The boron Lewis acid B(C₆F₅)₃ is found to catalyze the chemoselective hydrogenation of oxime ethers at elevated or even room temperature under 100 bar dihydrogen pressure. The use of the triisopropylsilyl group as a protecting group allows for facile liberation of the free hydroxylamines.     

B(C6F5)3‐Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of Imines and Related Heteroarenes Using Cyclohexa‐1,4‐dienes as a Dihydrogen Source

The strong boron Lewis acid tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane, B(C₆F₅)₃, is shown to abstract a hydride from suitably donor‐substituted cyclohexa‐1,4‐dienes, eventually releasing dihydrogen. This process is coupled with the FLP‐type (FLP=frustrated Lewis pair) hydrogenation of imines and nitrogen‐containing heteroarenes that are catalyzed by the same Lewis acid. The net reaction is a B(C₆F₅)₃‐catalyzed, i.e., transition‐metal‐free, transfer hydrogenation using easy‐to‐access cyclohexa‐1,4‐dienes as reducing agents. Competing reaction pathways with or without the involvement of free dihydrogen are discussed.     

B(C6F5)3‐Catalyzed Transfer of Dihydrogen from One Unsaturated Hydrocarbon to Another

A transition‐metal‐free transfer hydrogenation of 1,1‐disubstituted alkenes with cyclohexa‐1,4‐dienes as the formal source of dihydrogen is reported. The process is initiated by B(C₆F₅)₃‐mediated hydride abstraction from the dihydrogen surrogate, forming a Brønsted acidic Wheland complex and [HB(C₆F₅)₃]^?. A sequence of proton and hydride transfers onto the alkene substrate then yields the alkane. Although several carbenium ion intermediates are involved, competing reaction channels, such as dihydrogen release and cationic dimerization of reactants, are largely suppressed by the use of a cyclohexa‐1,4‐diene with methyl groups at the C1 and C5 as well as at the C3 position, the site of hydride abstraction. The alkene concentration is another crucial factor. The various reaction pathways were computationally analyzed, leading to a mechanistic picture that is in full agreement with the experimental observations.     

Stoichiometric and Catalytic C−C and C−H Bond Formation with B(C6F5)3 via Cationic Intermediates

This work showcases a new catalytic cyclization reaction using a highly Lewis acidic borane with concomitant C−H or C−C bond formation. The activation of alkyne‐containing substrates with B(C₆F₅)₃ enabled the first catalytic intramolecular cyclizations of carboxylic acid substrates using this Lewis acid. In addition, intramolecular cyclizations of esters enable C−C bond formation as catalytic B(C₆F₅)₃ can be used to effect formal 1,5‐alkyl migrations from the ester functional groups to unsaturated carbon–carbon frameworks. This metal‐free method was used for the catalytic formation of complex dihydropyrones and isocoumarins in very good yields under relatively mild conditions with excellent atom efficiency.     

Lewis Acid Promoted Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed Etherifications by Selective Hydrogenation of Carboxylic Acids/Esters

Ethers are of fundamental importance in organic chemistry and they are an integral part of valuable flavors, fragrances, and numerous bioactive compounds. In general, the reduction of esters constitutes the most straightforward preparation of ethers. Unfortunately, this transformation requires large amounts of metal hydrides. Presented herein is a bifunctional catalyst system, consisting of Ru/phosphine complex and aluminum triflate, which allows selective synthesis of ethers by hydrogenation of esters or carboxylic acids. Different lactones were reduced in good yields to the desired products. Even challenging aromatic and aliphatic esters were reduced to the desired products. Notably, the in situ formed catalyst can be reused several times without any significant loss of activity.     

Boron Lewis Acid‐Catalyzed Hydroboration of Alkenes with Pinacolborane: BArF3 Does What B(C6F5)3 Cannot Do!

The transition‐metal‐free hydroboration of various alkenes with pinacolborane (HBpin) initiated by tris[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borane (BAr^F₃) is reported. The choice of the boron Lewis acid is crucial as the more prominent boron Lewis acid tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C₆F₅)₃) is reluctant to react. Unlike B(C₆F₅)₃, BAr^F₃ is found to engage in substituent redistribution with HBpin, resulting in the formation of Ar^FBpin and the electron‐deficient diboranes [H₂BAr^F]₂ and [(Ar^F)(H)B(μ‐H)₂BAr^F₂]. These in situ‐generated hydroboranes undergo regioselective hydroboration of styrene derivatives as well as aliphatic alkenes with cis diastereoselectivity. Another ligand metathesis of these adducts with HBpin subsequently affords the corresponding HBpin‐derived anti‐Markovnikov adducts. The reactive hydroboranes are regenerated in this step, thereby closing the catalytic cycle.     

Transfer Hydrocyanation of α‐ and α,β‐Substituted Styrenes Catalyzed by Boron Lewis Acids

A straightforward gram‐scale preparation of cyclohexa‐1,4‐diene‐based hydrogen cyanide (HCN) surrogates is reported. These are bench‐stable but formally release HCN and rearomatize when treated with Lewis acids. For BCl₃, the formation of the isocyanide adduct [(CN)BCl₃]^? and the corresponding Wheland complex was verified by mass spectrometry. In the presence of 1,1‐di‐ and trisubstituted alkenes, transfer of HCN from the surrogate to the C?C double bond occurs, affording highly substituted nitriles with Markovnikov selectivity. The success of this transfer hydrocyanation depends on the Lewis acid employed; catalytic amounts of BCl₃ and (C₆F₅)₂BCl are shown to be effective while B(C₆F₅)₃ and BF₃?OEt₂ are not.     

Ruthenium(II) Complexes Containing Lutidine‐Derived Pincer CNC Ligands: Synthesis,Structure, and Catalytic Hydrogenation of CN bonds

A series of Ru complexes containing lutidine‐derived pincer CNC ligands have been prepared by transmetalation with the corresponding silver‐carbene derivatives. Characterization of these derivatives shows both mer and fac coordination of the CNC ligands depending on the wingtips of the N‐heterocyclic carbene fragments. In the presence of tBuOK, the Ru‐CNC complexes are active in the hydrogenation of a series of imines. In addition, these complexes catalyze the reversible hydrogenation of phenantridine. Detailed NMR spectroscopic studies have shown the capability of the CNC ligand to be deprotonated and get involved in ligand‐assisted activation of dihydrogen. More interestingly, upon deprotonation, the Ru‐CNC complex 5 e (BF₄) is able to add aldimines to the metal–ligand framework to yield an amido complex. Finally, investigation of the mechanism of the hydrogenation of imines has been carried out by means of DFT calculations. The calculated mechanism involves outer‐sphere stepwise hydrogen transfer to the C?N bond assisted either by the pincer ligand or a second coordinated H₂ molecule.     

B(C6F5)3‐Catalyzed Chemoselective Defunctionalization of Ether‐Containing Primary Alkyl Tosylates with Hydrosilanes

Catalytic C(sp³)−O bond cleavage promoted by B(C₆F₅)₃ /Et₃SiH proceeds preferentially with primary tosylates in the presence of primary and secondary silyl ethers and aryl ethers. This reactivity difference enables the chemoselective defunctionalization of several 1,n ‐diols, and the efficiency of the new procedure is highlighted by the selective deoxygenation of the hydroxymethyl group of an orthogonally protected carbohydrate. Tosylates with an adjacent phenyl group are cleaved with anchimeric assistance.     

Enantioselective Nazarov Cyclizations Catalyzed by an Axial Chiral C6F5‐Substituted Boron Lewis Acid

A chiral variant of B(C₆F₅)₃ with a 3,3′‐disubstituted binaphthyl backbone is shown to catalyze Nazarov cyclizations with high levels of enantio‐ and diastereocontrol. The parent B(C₆F₅)₃ also promotes these ring closures efficiently. This electrocyclization is another example of the still small family of C?C bond formations mediated by B(C₆F₅)₃ as the catalyst.     

Scope and Mechanisms of Frustrated Lewis Pair Catalyzed Hydrogenation Reactions of Electron‐Deficient CC Double Bonds

Several phosphonium and ammonium triarylborohydrides, which are intermediates in hydrogenation reactions catalyzed by frustrated Lewis pairs, were synthesized in high yield under mild conditions from triaryl boranes, ammonium or phosphonium halides, and triethylsilane. The kinetics and mechanisms of the reactions of these hydridoborate salts with benzhydrylium ions, iminium ions, quinone methides, and Michael acceptors were investigated, and their nucleophilicity was determined and compared with that of other hydride donors.     

NAD(P)H‐Independent Asymmetric CC Bond Reduction Catalyzed by Ene Reductases by Using Artificial Co‐substrates as the Hydrogen Donor

To develop a nicotinamide‐independent single flavoenzyme system for the asymmetric bioreduction of C?C bonds, four types of hydrogen donor, encompassing more than 50 candidates, were investigated. Six highly potent, cheap, and commercially available co‐substrates were identified that (under the optimized conditions) resulted in conversions and enantioselectivities comparable with, or even superior to, those obtained with traditional two‐enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H)‐recycling systems.