Diarylborinic acids as efficient catalysts for selective dehydration of aldols

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1997-3207

Diarylborinic acids with electron-withdrawing substituents at their aryl groups are efficient Lewis acid catalysts for Mukaiyama aldol condensation and selective dehydration of anti-aldols to α,β-enones in the presence of syn-aldols. The Lewis acidities of diarylborinic acids are much higher than those of the corresponding arylboronic acids.