Linking Borane with N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes: Effective Hydrogen‐Atom Donors for Radical Reactions
Authors:
John C. Walton Prof. Dr. Dr.
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST (UK), Fax: (+44)?1334‐463‐808
Abstract:
Undue influence : N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were found to reduce the strength of the B? H bonds of borane by a surprisingly large amount upon the formation of NHC–BH3 complexes. This property was exploited in the development of a suite of NHC–borane complexes for the reduction of xanthates in radical‐mediated Barton–McCombie‐type deoxygenation reactions (see scheme). AIBN=azobisisobutyronitrile, Bn=benzyl.
