Synlett 2020; 31(02): 125-132
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1691504
account
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Pursuit of C–H Borylation Reactions with Non-Precious Heterobimetallic Catalysts: Hypothesis-Driven Variations on a Design Theme

Noel J. Leon
,
Hsien-Cheng Yu
,
Thomas J. Mazzacano
,
Neal P. Mankad
Our research in this area has received generous support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), most recently through grant CHE-1664632.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 02 November 2019

Accepted after revision: 12 November 2019

Publication Date:
27 November 2019 (online)


Abstract

This article presents a retrospective account of our group’s heterobinuclear (NHC)Cu-[MCO] catalyst design concept (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene, [MCO] = metal carbonyl anion), the discovery of its application towards UV-light-induced dehydrogenative borylation of unactivated arenes, and the subsequent pursuit of thermal reaction conditions through structural modifications of the catalysts. The account highlights advantages of using a hypothesis-driven catalyst design approach that, while often fruitless with regard to the target transformation in this case, nonetheless vastly expanded the set of heterobinuclear catalysts available for other applications. In other words, curiosity-driven research conducted in a rational manner often provides valuable products with unanticipated applications, even if the primary objective is viewed to have failed.

1 Introduction to Heterobinuclear Catalysts for C–H Borylation

2 Pursuit of Thermal Borylation Conditions

3 Catalysts beyond Copper Carbenes

4 Conclusions