METHYLBORANE - A REMARKABLE UNHINDERED MONOALKYLBORANE WHICH ACHIEVES THE CONTROLLED SEQUENTIAL HYDROBORATION OF REPRESENTATIVE ALKENES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)96380-9

Methylborane, MeBH2, the simplest of the monoalkylboranes, possesses extraordinary hydroboration characteristics in tetrahydrofuran.In this solvent, methylborane is capable of monohydroborating the usual classes of alkenes, hindered and unhindered, to provide the simple alkylmethylboranes, RMeBH.The addition of a second equivalent of another alkene to the alkylmethylborane formed initially produces the sequential hydroboration product, RR'MeB.In all cases there is no evidence of redistributed products.