Subject from organoborons

This chapter will concentrate primarily on features of the chemistry of diboron compounds of particular interest from the organometallic viewpoint. While our limited scope does not permit a comprehensive review of all aspects of diboron chemistry, we will initially survey some general features of the subject, with emphasis on unique synthetic aspects and on properties particularly characteristic of compounds containing a simple electron-pair bond between boron atoms. Electron-deficient polyboron compounds will be specifically excluded from consideration. More extensive consideration will be given to the interaction of diboron compounds with unsaturated organic systems, which is a major aspect of organometallic chemistry based on boron-boron-bonded systems. Finally, we shall survey some of the chemistry of particular organoboron compounds derived from diboron precursors. 

The incorporation of isotopic labels via organoboron chemistry has been the subject of previous communications from Kabalka and co-workers, and two further examples have been reported this year. For example, the preparation of primary alkylamines by the reaction of organoboranes with NH4OH, described in 1981, has now been used to give N-labelled primary amines, and C-labelled carboxylic acids are readily prepared from the reaction of organoboranes with C-enriched carbon monoxide. ... 

For the selective preparation of polyketones, the organoboron polymer prepared by hydroboration polymerization between thexylborane and 1,7-octadiene was subjected to reaction with KCN (22). After oxidation of the reaction mixture, the desired polyketone was obtained. The polymer formed was a white solid and stable in air. This reaction also includes the migration of main chains of organoboron polymer from boron to carbon. 

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