The synthesis of phosphinoboronate esters containing a single P-B bond is reported, together with preliminary reactivity studies towards a range of organic substrates. These compounds add readily to aldehydes, ketones, aldimines, and α,β-unsaturated enones to give primarily the corresponding 1,2-addition products containing a new P-C bond. The first examples of transition-metal-catalyzed phosphinoborations of C-C multiple bonds in which P-C and B-C bonds are formed in a single step are also disclosed; allenes react by a highly regioselective 1,2-addition whereas terminal alkynes undergo a formal 1,1-addition.

Reaction of (Idipp)AlH3 with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] in toluene affords the dimeric aluminum dication [((Idipp)AlH(μ-H))2][B(C6F5)4]22. In contrast, the reaction of (IBn)AlH3 with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] in bromobenzene gives a redistribution product, the salt of a monomeric dication [(IBn)2AlH][B(C6F5)4]24.

The addition of phosphinoboronate ester Ph PBpin (pin=1,2-O C Me ) (1) to a number of different N-heterocycles has been investigated. Reaction of 1 with pyridine resulted in highly selective formation of the corresponding 1,4-addition product, with addition of the electron-deficient Bpin group to the pyridine nitrogen atom and the phosphido group to the para carbon atom. Conversely, reactions of para-substituted pyridine derivatives occurred predominately to afford 1,2-addition products while quinoline reacted to afford the 1,2-adduct which ultimately isomerized to afford the corresponding 1,4-addition product. Preliminary computational studies have been undertaken to explore possible pathways for these transformations including transfer of the PPh anion from [B(PPh ) pin] to the 4-position of a borenium/boronium activated pyridine and concerted pathways for 1,2-addition via intramolecular nucleophilic attack of PPh at C2 of a Ph PBpin-coordinated pyridine via a four-centered transition state and intramolecular transfer of PPh to the 2-position of a boron-activated pyridine in a phosphido-bridged dimer involving a six-centered transition state.

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