Selective 1,3-cycloboronation of enantiopure 1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted butanetetraols: versatile preparation, structural characterization, and properties of chiral cyclic boron-containing bifunctional Lewis acids

The selective cycloboronation of enantiopure 1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted butanetetraols was investigated, and a general preparation of chiral cyclic boron-containing bifunctional Lewis acids was discovered. Compounds (2R,3R)- or (2S,3S)-1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted butanetetraols were reacted with ArB(OH)2 at reflux in toluene, or THF, or under solvent-free condition to furnish tricoordinated, chiral bicyclo[4.4.0]diboronic esters in high yield via selective 1,3-cycloboronation. Structural characterization and properties of the novel chiral boron compounds are also reported.