Boron Lewis Pair Mediated C–H Activation and Borylation

Abstract In the few past years, the chemistry of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP) has enabled a plethora of transformations that would otherwise only be possible using transition metal catalysts. Of particular interest are C–H bond activation and borylation reactions, which are the subject of this review. The FLP borylation chemistry is compared with the early borylation methodologies using strongly electrophilic borenium ions. We present the mechanism of the C–H borylation using inter- and intramolecular Lewis pairs, along with some applications of these transformations. 1 Introduction 2 Electrophilic Borylation 3 Intramolecular or Directed Electrophilic Borylation 4 Intermolecular FLP-Mediated C–H Borylation 5 Stoichiometric Borylation by Intramolecular FLPs 5.1 Csp–H Borylation 5.2 Csp2–H Borylation 5.3 Csp3–H Borylation 6 Catalytic Borylation by Intramolecular FLPs 7 Catalytic Borylation by Self-Assembled FLPs 8 Conclusion