Triethylborane

Abstract: Calculations suggest that complexes of borane with N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) have B-H bond dissocation energies more then 20 kcal/mol less than free borane, diborane, borane-THF, and related complexes. Values are in the range of popular radical hydrogen atom donors like tin hydrides (70-80 kcal/mol). The resulting prediction that NHC borane complexes could be used as radical hydrogen atom donors was verified by radical deoxygenations of xanthates by using either AIBN or triethylborane as initiator.

Abstract: Triethylborane-induced atom-transfer radical cyclization of iodo acetals and iodoacetates in water is described. Radical cyclization of iodo acetal proceeded smoothly both in aqueous methanol and in water. Atom-transfer radical cyclization of allyl iodoacetate (3a) is much more efficient in water than in benzene or hexane. For instance, treatment of 3a with triethylborane in benzene or hexane at room temperature did not yield the desired lactone. In contrast, 3a cyclized much more smoothly in water and yielded the corresponding γ-lactone in high yield. The remarkable solvent effect of water was observed in this reaction, although the medium effect is believed to be small in radical reactions. Powerful solvent effects also operate in the preparation of medium- and large-ring lactones. Water as a reaction solvent strikingly promoted the cyclization reaction of large-membered rings. Stirring a solution of 3,6-dioxa-8-nonenyl iodoacetate in water in the presence of triethylborane at 25 °C for 10 h provided a ...

Abstract: The reduction of organic halides with tributyltin hydride in the presence of a catalytic amount of triethylborane has been studied. (1) Alkyl iodides and alkyl bromides reacted easily with tin hydride at −78°C to give the corresponding hydrocarbons, while alkyl chlorides were sluggish to react and recovered unchanged. (2) The reduction of alkenyl halides such as 1-deuterio-1-iodo-1-dodecene and 1-iodo-1-triethylsilyl-1-dodecene proceeded nonstereospecifically. (3) The reduction of aryl halides with n-Bu3SnH–Et3B system was not so effective as the reduction of alkyl halides and alkenyl halides. Whereas aryl iodides were reduced at room temperature with n-Bu3SnH, aryl bromides hardly reacted with n-Bu3SnH even at 80 °C.

Abstract: Ni(acac)(2) catalyzes homoallylation of aldehydes with 1,3-dienes in the presence of triethylborane. Triethylborane serves as a reducing agent delivering a formal hydride to the C2 position of 1,3-dienes, thus generating a formal homoallyl anion species and enabling the novel homoallylation of aldehydes. The reaction proceeds smoothly at room temperature in the absence of any phosphane or nitrogen ligands and is highly regioselective and stereoselective for a wide variety combination of aldehydes and 1,3-dienes: e.g., isoprene and benzaldehyde combine to give a mixture of anti- and syn-1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-penten-1-ol (2.2) in a ratio of 15:1 in 90% yield. Under the conditions, sterically congested aliphatic aldehydes and ketones show low yields. In such cases, diethylzinc serves as a substitute for triethylborane and yields the expected products in good yields with similarly high regio- and stereoselectivity. 1,3-Cyclohexadiene is one exception among 24 kinds of dienes examined and undergoes allylation (not homoallylation) selectively.