Reactivity of a POP-Rhodium(I) boryl complex

Abstract

Transition metal boryl complexes have received great attention due to their role as key intermediates in a wide range of metal-catalyzed reactions. Rhodium boryl complexes are known because are able to catalyze different processes such as the hydroboration and dehydrogenative borylation of olefins, the diboration of alkenes, or the functionalization of hydrocarbons via C-H activation reactions. However, and despite this, rhodium(I) boryl derivatives are barely known. In the last years, our research group has shown that the 16-electron monohydride complex RhH{xant(PiPr2)2} is an useful starting material for the synthesis of rhodium(I) boryl derivatives, among them Rh(Bpin){xant(PiPr2)2}. Benzonitrile and 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzonitrile insert into the Rh−B bond of this complex to form Rh{C(RC6H4)= NBpin}{xant(PiPr2)2} (R = H, pCF3), key intermediates on the mechanism of the rhodium-mediated decyanative borylation. In this presentation we show the reactivity of this rhodium(I) boryl complex with different unsaturated molecules.