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Reversible C-H Activation, Facile C-B/B-H Metathesis and Apparent Hydroboration Catalysis by a Dimethylxanthene-Based
Petra Vasko1, Ili A Zulkifly1, M Ángeles Fuentes1
1Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK.
Abstract:
A dimethylxanthene-based phosphine/borane frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) is shown to effect reversible C-H activation, cleaving phenylacetylene, PhCCH, to give an equilibrium mixture of the free FLP and phosphonium acetylide in CD2 Cl2 solution at room temperature. This system also reacts with B-H bonds although in a different fashion: reactions with HBpin and HBcat proceed via C-B/B-H metathesis, leading to replacement of the -B(C6 F5 )2 Lewis acid component by -Bpin/-Bcat, and transfer of HB(C6 F5 )2 to the phosphine Lewis base. This transformation underpins the ability of the FLP to catalyze the hydroboration of alkynes by HBpin: the active species is derived from the HB(C6 F5 )2 fragment generated in this exchange process.
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