The Chemistry of Organotrifluoroborates

Abstract

Organotrifluoroborates have emerged as among the most versatile class of organoboron reagents for elaboration of complex organic molecules. They are air‐ and moisture‐stable crystalline solids or free‐flowing powders that can be easily prepared and stored on the bench for years without decomposition. Furthermore, the tetra‐coordinated nature of organotrifluoroborates engenders unique reactivity patterns complementary to those of the tri‐coordinated organoboron species. Over the years, organotrifluoroborates have been employed in myriad reactions for carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bond formation, showing the importance of these compounds for synthetic organic chemistry. Herein described is an overview of the synthesis and application of organotrifluoroborates in a vast array of organic transformations.