Work

Highly Lewis Acidic In Situ‐Generated Boronic Acid Ester: A Practical Catalyst for Hosomi–Sakurai Conjugate Addition, Carbonyl‐Ene Reaction, and Silane‐Mediated Amide Reduction

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Lewis acids are electron‐pair acceptors that form adducts with Lewis bases. These compounds have attained a prominent position in chemistry, finding widespread utility in diverse applications like catalysis and materials science. In this context, boron Lewis acids have become increasingly indispensable in organic synthesis due to their strong electrophilic nature, which renders them useful catalysts across a variety of chemical transformations, including C–C bond formations and C–H bond functionalization. This work details the catalytic efficacy of a newly developed in situ‐generated boronic acid ester (BAE) Lewis acid system in promoting conjugate addition of allylsilanes, carbonyl‐ene reactions and amide reductions. Notably, the Lewis acidity of this catalyst is demonstrated to be comparable to that of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane and surpassing prior BAE catalysts from our laboratory .

Source: Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis

DOI: 10.1002/adsc.70481

Authors: Ava Bousselat, Elisabeth Bats, Charbel Alkazzi, Karine Jarsale, Jacques Rouden, Jérôme Blanchet

Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen, Université de Caen Normandie

Language: English

Topic: Organoboron and organosilicon chemistry

Subfield: Organic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,650

Funder: Région Normandie