Phosphine-directed C-H borylation reactions: facile and selective access to ambiphilic phosphine boronate esters.

Ambiphilic ligands have received considerable attention over the last two decades due to their unique reactivity as organocatalysts and ligands. The iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation of phosphines is described in which the phosphine is used as a directing group to provide selective formation of arylboronate esters with unique scaffolds of ambiphilic compounds. A variety of aryl and benzylic phosphines were subjected to the reaction conditions, selectively providing stable, isolable boronate esters upon protection of the phosphine as the borane complex. After purification, the phosphine-substituted boronate esters could be deprotected and isolated in pure form.