Radical Borylation of Alkyl Bromides by Photoinduced Halogen-Atom Transfer

Alkyl organoboron compounds are versatile synthons in organic synthesis, enabling rapid access to a variety of carbon─carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. As such, strategies to efficiently access carbon-boron bonds from simple chemical feedstocks are highly desirable. The radical borylation of alkyl bromides presents an attractive approach. However, the activation of alkyl bromides typically requires strong reductants or transition-metal catalysts. Herein, we report a metal-free radical borylation strategy of various alkyl bromides utilizing a photoinduced silyl radical to mediate a halogen-atom transfer process. This method demonstrates broad utility and functional group tolerance among various primary, secondary, and tertiary unactivated alkyl bromides and can facilitate the functionalization of pharmaceutically relevant motifs. Mechanistic and computational studies support a radical-chain pathway involving a silyl radical-mediated halogen-atom transfer.