Borohydride-mediated radical addition reactions of organic iodides to electron-deficient alkenes

Cyanoborohydrides are efficient reagents in the reductive addition reactions of alkyl iodides and electron-deficient olefins. In contrast to using tin reagents, the reaction took place chemoselectively at the carbon-iodine bond but not at the carbon-bromine or carbon-chlorine bond. The reaction system was successfully applied to three-component reactions, including radical carbonylation. The rate constant for the hydrogen abstraction of a primary alkyl radical from tetrabutylammonium cyanoborohydride was estimated to be <1 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) at 25 °C by a kinetic competition method. This value is 3 orders of magnitude smaller than that of tributyltin hydride.