The observation that NHC-boryl radicals abstract cyano groups from various organic nitriles has been parlayed into two complementary transformations. In the main group chemistry aspect, reactions of various NHC-boranes with simple organic dinitriles selectively provide stable NHC-boryl mono- or dinitriles, depending on the nitrile source. In the organic synthesis aspect, reaction of malononitriles and related derivatives with readily available 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene borane provides reductively decyanated products in good yields.

Borohydrides are an important class of reagents in both organic and inorganic chemistry. Though popular as hydride-transfer reagents for reduction, since earlier work from the 1970s, borohydride reagents have also been known to serve as hydrogen-transfer reagents. In pursuit of greener tin hydride substitutes, recent progress has been made to mediate radical C-C bond forming reactions, including Giese reactions, radical carbonylation and addition to HCHO reactions, with borohydride reagents. This review article focuses on state-of-the-art borohydride based radical reactions, also covering earlier work, kinetics and some DFT calculations with respect to the hydrogen transfer mechanism.

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A novel method for the conversion of vinyl triflates into α-trifluoromethylated ketones in the absence of external trifluoromethyl sources is described. This process accomplishes an efficient migration of the trifluoromethyl group of the triflate to the α-position in the ketone through a radical process. The reaction proceeds by the addition of a trifluoromethyl radical to the vinyl triflate and subsequent fragmentation of the trifluoromethane sulfonyl radical. Based on this reaction, a one-pot two-step procedure for the trifluoromethylation of ketones was developed. The method presented herein also allows the transfer of perfluoroalkyl groups from vinyl perfluoroalkanesulfonates, which are readily accessible from alkynes and perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids.