Borane, electrophilicity reaction with carboxylic acids

The rapid reaction between carboxylic acids and borane is related to the electrophilicity of the latter. The carbonyl group of the initially formed acyloxyborane intermediate, which is essentially a mixed anhydride, is activated by the Lewis acidity of the trivalent boron atom. Addition of 1/3 equiv of the Borane-Tetrahydrofuran complex to acrylic acid in dichloromethane followed by addition of a diene at low temperature results in the formation of Diels-Alder adducts in good yield (eq 1). Further, the reaction is successful even with a catalytic amount of borane. 

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