Exceptionally E- and β-selective NHC-Cu-catalyzed proto-silyl additions to terminal alkynes and site- and enantioselective proto-boryl additions to the resulting vinylsilanes: synthesis of enantiomerically enriched vicinal and geminal borosilanes.

An exceptionally site- and E-selective catalytic method for preparation of Si-containing alkenes through protosilylation of terminal alkynes is presented. Furthermore, the vinylsilanes obtained are used as substrates to generate vicinal or geminal borosilanes by another catalytic process; such products are derived from enantioselective protoborations of the Si-substituted alkenes. All transformations are catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) copper complexes. Specifically, a commercially available imidazolinium salt, cheap CuCl (1.0 mol%) and Me(2)PhSi-B(pin), readily and inexpensively prepared in one vessel, are used to convert terminal alkynes to (E)-β-vinylsilanes efficiently (79-98% yield) and in >98% E and >98% β-selectivity. Vinylsilanes are converted to borosilanes with 5.0 mol% of a chiral NHC-Cu complex in 33-94% yield and up to 98.5:1.5 enantiomeric ratio (e.r.). Alkyl-substituted substrates afford vicinal borosilanes exclusively; aryl- and heteroaryl-substituted alkenes deliver the geminal isomers preferentially. Different classes of chiral NHCs give rise to high enantioselectivities in the two sets of transformations: C(1)-symmetric monodentate Cu complexes are most suitable for reactions of alkyl-containing vinylsilanes and bidentate sulfonate-bridged variants furnish the highest e.r. for substrates with an aryl substituent. Working models that account for the observed trends in selectivity are provided. Utility is demonstrated through application towards a formal enantioselective total synthesis of naturally occurring antibacterial agent bruguierol A.