Cyclic boronates

The boron atom dominates the reactivity of the boracyclic compounds because of its inherent Lewis acidity. Consequently, there have been very few reports on the reactivity of substituents attached to the ring carbon atoms in the five-membered boronated cyclic systems. Singaram and co-workers developed a novel catalyst 31 based on dicarboxylic acid derivative of 1,3,2-dioxaborolane for the asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones 32. This catalyst reduces a wide variety of ketones enantioselectively in the presence of a co-reductant such as LiBH4. The mechanism involves the coordination of ketone 32 with the chiral boronate 31 and the conjugation of borohydride with carboxylic acid to furnish the chiral borohydride complex 34. Subsequent transfer of hydride from the least hindered face of the ketone yields the corresponding alcohol 35 in high ee (Scheme 3) <20060PD949>. 

The situation is similar with cyclic boronates, which are prepared by the following procedure. Steroid (10 pmol) and the respective substituted boric acid (10 jumol) are dissolved in ethyl acetate (1 ml) and the mixture is allowed to stand for 5 min at room temperature. Under these conditions, 17,20-diols, 20,21-diols and 17,20,21-triols are converted completely into boronates. Cyclic boronate was mainly produced from 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketone, but side-products also appeared, the formation of which could be suppressed by adding a 10% excess of the reagent [387—389]. Different substituents on the boron atom, such as methyl, n-butyl, tert.-butyl, cyclohexyl and phenyl, are interesting from the viewpoint of GC—MS application. They are further suitable for converting isolated hydroxyl groups into TMS or acetyl derivatives. 

Organic ring systems are named by replacement nomenclature. Three- to ten-membered mono-cyclic ring systems containing uncharged boron atoms may be named by the specialist nomenclature for heterocyclic systems. Organic derivatives are named as outlined for substitutive nomenclature. The complexity of boron nomenclature precludes additional details the text by Rigaudy and Klesney should be consulted. 

The most important reaction with Lewis acids such as boron trifluoride etherate is polymerization (Scheme 30) (72MI50601). Other Lewis acids have been used SnCL, Bu 2A1C1, Bu sAl, Et2Zn, SO3, PFs, TiCU, AICI3, Pd(II) and Pt(II) salts. Trialkylaluminum, dialkylzinc and other alkyl metal initiators may partially hydrolyze to catalyze the polymerization by an anionic mechanism rather than the cationic one illustrated in Scheme 30. Cyclic dimers and trimers are often products of cationic polymerization reactions, and desulfurization of the monomer may occur. Polymerization of optically active thiiranes yields optically active polymers (75MI50600). 

Cyclic carbonates and cyclic boronates have also found considerable use as protective groups. In contrast to most acetals and ketals the carbonates are cleaved with strong base and sterically unencumbered boronates are readily cleaved by water. 

Kawakami, Suzuki and Yamashita showed that compound 7, among many others, could be polymerized to derivatives of the corresponding open-chained species by treatment with boron trifluoride ether complex. Yamashita and Kawakami formed these same sorts of materials by heating the glycols and paraformaldehyde in the presence of toluenesulfonic acid. This led to prepolymers which were then thermally depolymerized to afford the cyclic oligomers which were separated by fractional distillation. 

Thioketals are readily formed by acid-catalyzed reaction with ethane-dithiol. Selective thioketal formation is achieved at C-3 in the presence of a 6-ketone by carrying out the boron trifluoride catalyzed reaction in diluted medium. Selective protection of the 3-carbonyl group as a thioketal has been effected in high yield with A" -3,17-diketones, A" -3,20-diketones and A" -3,l 1,17-triones in acetic acid at room temperature in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid. In the case of thioketals the double bond remains in the 4,5-position. This result is attributed to the greater nucleophilicity of sulfur as compared to oxygen, which promotes closure of intermediate (66) to the protonated cyclic mercaptal (67) rather than elimination to the 3,5-diene [cf. ketal (70) via intermediates (68) and (69)]." " ... 

Boronic acids readily dehydrate at moderate temperatures (or over P4O10 at room temperature) to give trimeric cyclic anhydrides known as trialkyl(aryl)boroxines ... 

Cyclic esters of a-halo boronic acids in asymmetric synthesis 98T10555. 

The reactions of nitrones constitute the absolute majority of metal-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. Boron, aluminum, titanium, copper and palladium catalysts have been tested for the inverse electron-demand 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrones with electron-rich alkenes. Fair enantioselectivities of up to 79% ee were obtained with oxazaborolidinone catalysts. However, the AlMe-3,3 -Ar-BINOL complexes proved to be superior for reactions of both acyclic and cyclic nitrones and more than >99% ee was obtained in some reactions. The Cu(OTf)2-BOX catalyst was efficient for reactions of the glyoxylate-derived nitrones with vinyl ethers and enantioselectivities of up to 93% ee were obtained. 

In the next step, one of the borane-hydrogens is transferred to a sp -carbon center of the alkene and a carbon-boron bond is formed, via a four-membered cyclic transition state 6. A mono-alkyIborane R-BH2 molecule thus formed can react the same way with two other alkene molecules, to yield a trialkylborane R3B. In case of tri- and tctra-substituted alkenes—e.g. 2-methylbut-2-ene 7 and 2,3-dimethylbut-2-ene 9—which lead to sterically demanding alkyl-substituents at the boron center, borane will react with only two or even only one equivalent of alkene, to yield a alkylborane or mono alky Iborane respectively ... 

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