ORGANOBORANES FOR SYNTHESIS.9. RAPID REACTION OF ORGANOBORANES WITH IODINE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BASE. A CONVENIENT PROCEDURE FOR THE CONVERSION OF ALKENES INTO IODIDES VIA HYDROBORATION

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(88)90010-5

The reaction of organoborane with iodine is strongly accelerated by sodium hydroxide.Organoboranes derived from terminal alkenes react with the utilization of approximately two of the three alkyl groups attached to boron, providing a maximum of 67percent yield of alkyl iodide.Thus, hydroboration-iodination of 1-decene gives a 60percent yield of n-decyl iodide.Secondary alkyl groups, derived from internal alkenes, react more sluggishly and only one of the three alkyl groups attached to boron is converted to the iodide.Thus, the procedure applied to 2-butene provides a 30percent yield of 2-butyl iodide.The use of disiamylborane bis-(3-methyl-2-butylborane, Sia2BH as hydroborating agent increases the yield of iodides from terminal alkenes since the primary alkyl groups react in preference to the secondary siamyl groups.Consequently, hydroboration of 1-decene with Sia2BH, followed by iodination gives a 95percent yield of n-decyl iodide.The use of methanolic sodium methoxide in place of sodium hydroxide provides alkyl iodides in considerably higher yields.The combination of hydroboration with iodination in the presence of a base provides a convenient method for the anti-Markovnikov hydroiodination of alkenes.The base-induced iodination of organoboranes proceeds with the inversion of configuration at the reaction center, as shown by the formation of endo-2-iodonorbornane from tri-exo-norbornylborane.