Catalytic, Thermal, Regioselective Functionalization of Alkanes and Arenes with Borane Reagents

Work in the author's group that has led to a regioselective catalytic borylation of alkanes at the terminal position is summarized. Early findings on the photochemical, stoichiometric functionalization of arenes and alkanes and the successful extension of this work to a catalytic functionalization of alkanes under photochemical conditions is presented first. The discovery of complexes that catalyze the functionalization of alkanes to terminal alkylboronate esters is then presented, along with mechanistic studies on these system and computational work on the stoichiometric reactions of isolated metal-boryl compounds with alkanes. Parallel results on the development of catalysts and a mechanistic understanding of the borylation of arenes under mild conditions to form arylboronate esters are also presented.