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Ambient temperature hydrophosphination of internal, unactivated alkynes and allenyl phosphineoxides with phosphine
Carl A Busacca1, Elisa Farber, Jay Deyoung
1Department of Chemical Development, Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 900 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877, USA. carl.busacca@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Abstract:
Phosphine boranes have been found to hydrophosphinate internal, unactivated alkynes at room temperature under basic conditions without the need for catalysts or radical initiators. The use of air-sensitive secondary phosphines is avoided in this facile process. Broad scope in both the phosphine borane and alkyne partners leads to excellent diversity in the phosphine products. Asymmetric hydrogenation of these species then provides one of the shortest possible routes to chiral monodentate phosphines. Hydrophosphination of allenyl phosphine oxides under similar conditions followed by hydrogenation of the exomethylene moiety yields a wide variety of bis-phosphine derivatives.
Related Concept Videos
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation
One of the convenient methods for the preparation of aldehydes and ketones is via hydration of alkynes. Hydroboration-oxidation of alkynes is an indirect hydration reaction in which an alkyne is treated with borane followed by oxidation with alkaline peroxide to form an enol that rapidly converts into an aldehyde or a ketone. Terminal alkynes form aldehydes, whereas internal alkynes give ketones as the final product.
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Regioselectivity and Stereochemistry of Hydroboration
Hydroboration proceeds in a concerted fashion with the attack of borane on the π bond, giving a cyclic four-centered transition state. The –BH2 group is bonded to the less substituted carbon and –H to the more substituted carbon. The concerted nature requires the simultaneous addition of –H and –BH2 across the same face of the alkene giving syn stereochemistry.
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Hydrohalogenation
