Formation of Strong Boron Lewis Acid Sites on Silica.

Bis(1-methyl-ortho-carboranyl)borane (HBMeoCb2) is a very strong Lewis acid that reacts with the isolated silanols present on silica partially dehydroxylated at 700 °C (SiO2-700) to form the well-defined Lewis site MeoCb2B(OSi≡) (1) and H2. 11B{1H} magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data of 1 are consistent with that of a three-coordinate boron site. Contacting 1 with O═PEt3 (triethylphosphine oxide TEPO) and measuring 31P{1H} MAS NMR spectra show that 1 preserves the strong Lewis acidity of HBMeoCb2. Hydride ion affinity and fluoride ion affinity calculations using small molecules analogs of 1 also support the strong Lewis acidity of the boron sites in this material. Reactions of 1 with Cp2Hf(13CH3)2 show that the Lewis sites are capable of abstracting methide groups from Hf to form [Cp2Hf-13CH3][H313C-B(MeoCb2)OSi≡], but with a low overall efficiency.

The Effect of Carborane Substituents on the Lewis Acidity of Boranes.

The Lewis acidity of primary, secondary, and tertiary boranes with phenyl, pentafluorophenyl, and all three isomers of the C-substituted icosahedral carboranes (ortho, meta, and para) was investigated by computing their fluoride, hydride, and ammonia affinities as well as their global electrophilicity indices and LUMO energies. From these calculations, it was determined that the substituent effects on the Lewis acidity of these boranes follow the trend of ortho-carborane > meta-carborane > para-carborane > C6F5 > C6H5.

Bis(1-Methyl-ortho-Carboranyl)Borane.

The Lewis superacid, bis(1-methyl-ortho-carboranyl)borane, is rapidly accessed in two steps. It is a very effective hydroboration reagent capable of B-H addition to alkenes, alkynes, and cyclopropanes. To date, this is the first identified Lewis superacidic secondary borane and most reactive neutral hydroboration reagent.

Accessing Boron-Doped Pentaphene Analogues from 12-Boradibenzofluorene.

Borole-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have garnered attention in recent years due to their attractive photophysical properties and potential utility in electronic devices. In this work, a borole-doped PAH, 12-boradibenzofluorene, is synthesized and formal intermolecular nitrene and oxygen atom insertion reactions were employed to access 1,2-azaborine- and 1,2-oxaborine-containing analogues of the carbonaceous PAH pentaphene. Iodosobenzene is established as a versatile reagent for oxygen atom insertion reactions into a variety of borole species to access 1,2-oxaborine systems.

Tris(ortho-carboranyl)borane: An Isolable, Halogen-Free, Lewis Superacid.

The synthesis of tris(ortho-carboranyl)borane (BoCb3 ), a single site neutral Lewis superacid, in one pot from commercially available materials is achieved. The high fluoride ion affinity (FIA) confirms its classification as a Lewis superacid and the Gutmann-Beckett method as well as adducts with Lewis bases indicate stronger Lewis acidity over the widely used fluorinated aryl boranes. The electron withdrawing effect of ortho-carborane and lack of pi-delocalization of the LUMO rationalize the unusually high Lewis acidity. Catalytic studies indicate that BoCb3 is a superior catalyst for promoting C-F bond functionalization reactions than tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane [B(C6 F5 )3 ].

Gold(i)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with organostannanes.

Gold(i)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with organostannanes are described. This redox neutral strategy offers an efficient approach to diverse biaryls, vinyl arenes and arylacetylenes. Monitoring the reaction with NMR and ESI-MS provided strong evidence for the in situ formation of Ph3PAuIR (R = aryl, vinyl and alkynyl) species which is crucial for the activation of aryldiazonium salts.

Carborane-arene fused boracyclic analogues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons accessed by intramolecular borylation.

Arenes are 2D aromatics while dicarbadodecaborane clusters are branded as 3D aromatic molecules. In this work we prepare molecules that feature fused 2D/3D aromatic systems that represent boron-doped analogues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The electron withdrawing nature of the ortho-carborane substituent enables swift arene borylation on boron bromide or hydride precursors to furnish five- and six-membered boracycles in conjugation with the arene. The mechanism was modeled by DFT computations implying a concerted transition state and analyzing the photophysical properties revealed high quantum yields in the six-membered systems.

Examining the reactivity of tris(ortho-carboranyl)borane with Lewis bases and application in frustrated Lewis pair Si-H bond cleavage.

Reactions of tris(ortho-carboranyl)borane with Lewis bases reveals only small bases bind. The tremendous bulk and Lewis acidity is leveraged in frustrated Lewis pair Si-H cleavage with a wider range of Lewis bases and greater efficacy than B(C6F5)3.

Ligand-Enabled Gold-Catalyzed C(sp2)-N Cross-Coupling Reactions of Aryl Iodides with Amines.

The first example of ancillary (P,N)-ligand-enabled gold-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides with amines is reported. The high generality of the reaction in de novo synthesis, late-stage modifications, and cascade processes to access functionalized indolinones and carbazoles underscores the synthetic potential of the presented strategy. Monitoring the reaction with ESI-HRMS and NMR provided strong evidence for the in situ formation of putative high valent Au(III) intermediates.

ortho-Oxygenative 1,2-Difunctionalization of Diarylalkynes under Merged Gold/Organophotoredox Relay Catalysis.

Reported herein is an ortho-oxygenative 1,2-difunctionalization of diarylalkynes under merged gold/organophotoredox catalysis to access highly functionalized 2-(2-hydroxyaryl)-2-alkoxy-1-arylethan-1-ones. Detailed mechanistic studies suggested a relay process, initiating with gold-catalyzed hydroalkoxylation of alkynes, to generate enol-ether followed by a key formal [4+2]-cycloaddition reaction. The successful application of the present methodology was also shown for the synthesis of benzofurans.

Oxidant-free oxidative gold catalysis: the new paradigm in cross-coupling reactions.

The construction of C-C and C-X (X = hetero atom) bonds is the core aspect for the assembly of molecules. In this regard, late transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions have retained their dominance for decades. Lately, gold catalysts have been emerging as a reliable contender for such transformations owing to the recent findings that reveal gold's potential beyond carbophilic π-Lewis acid. The newfound ability of gold to undergo redox transformations under certain circumstances has allowed us to explore gold catalysts as a viable alternative to other late transition-metals for efficient construction of cross-coupled products. This feature article critically presents an overview of all the redox neutral cross-coupling reactions enabled by gold catalysis, which we believe would stimulate further research activities in this promising area.

Visible light mediated desilylative C(sp2)-C(sp2) cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with aryldiazonium salts under Au(i)/Au(iii) catalysis.

Desilylative C(sp2)-C(sp2) cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanes with aryldiazonium salts under Au(i)/photoredox catalysis have been reported. The addition of Cu-salts as catalysts was found to be crucial for the success of this transformation.

Cross-Coupling Reactions of Aryldiazonium Salts with Allylsilanes under Merged Gold/Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis.

A method for the cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with trialkylallylsilanes via merged gold/photoredox catalysis is described. The reaction is proposed to proceed through a photoredox-promoted generation of an electrophilic arylgold(III) intermediate that undergoes transmetalation with allyltrimethylsilane to form allylarenes.

A facile strategy for accessing 3-alkynylchromones through gold-catalyzed alkynylation/cyclization of o-hydroxyarylenaminones.

A strategy based on tandem alkynylation of o-hydroxyarylenaminones followed by intramolecular cyclization has been developed to generate a diverse array of 3-alkynyl chromones. The functionality embedded in these key intermediates enables their facile elaboration into more diverse structures by a variety of functionalizations and ring-forming processes.

[3+2]-Annulation of platinum-bound azomethine ylides with distal C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds of N-allenamides.

A Pt-catalyzed, highly regioselective reaction between N-allenamides and imino-alkynes leading to pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles is described. This represents the first example of [3+2]-annulation of Pt-bound azomethine ylides with the distal C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond of N-allenamides. The mechanism of the reaction was established by computational studies.