Preparation and study of chiral boron containing amine-cyano(pyrrolyl-1)borane complexes. Preparation of (−)-(S)-α-phenylethylamine-(−)-cyano(pyrrolyl-1)borane and (+)-(R)-α-phenylethylamine-(+)-cyano(pyrrolyl-1)borane

Several amine-cyano(pyrrolyl)borane complexes A · BH(NC₄H₄)CN] containing a chiral boron atom were prepared from the reactions of sodium cyanohydrodipyrrolylborate-tridioxane¹ NaBH(NC₄H₄)₂CN · 3C₄H₈O₂] with amine hydrochlorides as well as by base exchange from the appropriate 4-cyanopyridine complex 4-CNC₅H₄N · BH(NC₄H₄)CN]. Amines with an sp² N atom give stable complexes of a wide range of basicity (pK_a = 0.8?9.7), in contrast to the anines with sp³ hybridized N where only the stronger bases (pK_a ? 7.3) are capable of giving stable complexes (mainly secondary and tertiary amines). These compounds undergo hydrolysis in neutral and alkaline media, while in strong acids they give stable boronium ions by protonation at the α-C atom of the pyrrolyl group. The compounds (?)-(S)-α-phenylethylamine-(?)-cyanopyrrolylborane and (+)-(R)-α-phenylethylamine-(+)-cyanopyrrolylborane have been prepared in pure form; in solution they undergo slow epimerization. Treatment of the appropriate complexes with KH has given the chiral boron-containing borates KBH(NC₄H₄)(CN)X (X = imidazolyl-, pyrazolyl-). Dicyanohydropyrrolylborane was obtained from 4-cyanopyridine-cyanopyrrolylborane and NaCN.