Homoallylboration and homocrotylboration of aldehydes

A simple method for addition of homoallylic fragments to aldehydes is described. Cyclopropanated allylboration reagents react with aldehydes in the presence of PhBCl(2) to give high yields of bishomoallyl alcohols. Cyclopropanated cis- and trans-crotyl reagents afford the corresponding 1,3-anti- and 1,3-syn-methyl-substituted "homocrotylated" alcohols with high selectivity, consistent with a Zimmerman-Traxler transition state. Accordingly, the optically active α-substituted reactant affords the E-substituted product in 97:3 er.