trans-Ge/B 1,1-Hydroboration of Alkynylgermanes with 9-BBN

Org Lett. 2025 Jan 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c04691. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

A 1,1-hydroboration of alkynylgermanes with unique trans-Ge/B stereochemistry under transition-metal-free conditions is reported. Mechanistic studies suggest that a pathway involving α-boration followed by a stepwise 1,2-Ge/H shift on the intermediate structurally lies between an alkyne-Ge+ π complex and a typical vinyl cation. The resulting Ge/B bimetallic modules, along with a Ge*/Ge/B trimetallic variant, can be conveniently transformed into trisubstituted olefins through iterative divergent cross-coupling. This work demonstrates that incorporating metalloids into classical organic reactions may offer unconventional chemical selectivity and efficient synthetic applications.