Borinic Acid/Halide Co-catalyzed Semipinacol Rearrangements of 2,3-Epoxy Alcohols.

A new mode of catalysis of the semipinacol rearrangement of 2,3-epoxy alcohols is described. In combination with a halide salt additive, diarylborinic acids promote a Type II rearrangement that occurs with net retention of configuration. This unusual stereochemical outcome is consistent with a mechanism involving regioselective ring opening of the epoxy alcohol by halide, followed by rearrangement of the resulting halohydrin-derived borinic ester.

Mechanism of an Organoboron-Catalyzed Domino Reaction: Kinetic and Computational Studies of Borinic Acid-Catalyzed Regioselective Chloroacylation of 2,3-Epoxy Alcohols.

A mechanistic study of the borinic acid-catalyzed chloroacylation of 2,3-epoxy alcohols is presented. In this unusual mode of catalysis, the borinic acid activates the substrate toward sequential reactions with a nucleophile (epoxide ring-opening by chloride) and an electrophile (O-acylation of the resulting alkoxide). Reaction progress kinetic analysis of data obtained through in situ FTIR spectroscopy is consistent with a mechanism involving turnover-limiting acylation of a chlorohydrin-derived borinic ester.

Carbohydrates as efficient catalysts for the hydration of α-amino nitriles.

Directed hydration of α-amino nitriles was achieved under mild conditions using simple carbohydrates as catalysts exploiting temporary intramolecularity. A broadly applicable procedure using both formaldehyde and NaOH as catalysts efficiently hydrated a variety of primary and secondary susbtrates, and allowed the hydration of enantiopure substrates to proceed without racemization. This work also provides a rare comparison of the catalytic activity of carbohydrates, and shows that the simple aldehydes at the basis of chemical evolution are efficient organocatalysts mimicking the function of hydratase enzymes.

Borinic Acid Catalyzed, Regioselective Chloroacylations and Chlorosulfonylations of 2,3-Epoxy Alcohols.

In the presence of a borinic acid derived catalyst, 2,3-epoxy alcohols undergo couplings with acyl and sulfonyl chlorides. This transformation directly generates O-acylated or O-sulfonylated chlorohydrin diols, with significant levels of regioselectivity for both the ring-opening and O-functionalization steps.