Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Allylboration of Aldehydes using alpha-Substituted Allyl/Crotyl Pinacol Boronic Esters via in Situ Generated Borinic Esters

Readily available, alpha-substituted allyl/crotyl pinacol boronic esters often give low E/Z selectivity (with Z favored) in reactions with aldehydes. We found that addition of nBuLi to the pinacol boronic ester followed by trapping of the alkoxide with TFAA leads to an intermediate allyl borinic ester which undergoes allylboration with very high E selectivity. The substrate scope includes primary to tertiary alkyl alpha-substituents, crotyl substrates, and the previously unreported beta-methallyl pinacol boronic esters. The latter give very high Z selectivity under standard conditions which is completely reversed to high E selectivity under the new conditions. Monitoring the reaction by B-11 NMR confirmed that the reaction proceeds through a borinic ester intermediate.