Mechanistic study on the reaction of pinB-BMes₂with alkynes based on experimental investigation and DFT calculations: gradual change of mechanism depending on the substituent

Abstract

diborane and borataallene were confirmed as stable intermediates by calculations. The whole reaction pathways can be divided into the Bpin-migration and deprotonation steps, where the borataallene should be considered as a common intermediate. It should be noted that the deprotonation step is reversible and affords the kinetically less favoured isomer under the thermodynamic conditions. As a result, the composition of isomeric products, in the base-catalyzed diboration, is attributed to the small difference of activation barriers between direct and base-catalyzed systems.