Dimethylboron Bromide and Diphenylboron Bromide: Cleavage of Acetals and Ketals

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00195a007

The cleavage of various acetal and ketal derivatives by the use of dialkyl- and diarylboron halides is described.Acetals and ketals readily react with dimethylboron bromide or diphenylboron bromide at -78 deg C to give the corresponding carbonyl compounds in excellent yield.Under similar reaction conditions MEM, MOM, and MTM ethers are smoothly converted to alcohols.Acetonides are also cleaved with dimethylboron bromide while THP and THF ethers and methyl glycosides react at room temperature.Mechanistic considerations of the cleavage reactions are presented.The chemoselective virtues of dimethylboron bromide are summarized.