Carboxylic acid-catalyzed highly efficient and selective hydroboration of alkynes with pinacolborane.

We have demonstrated for the first time that carboxylic acids are able to catalyze the direct hydroboration of various terminal and internal alkynes with pinacolborane without using any metal catalysts. This unprecedented catalytic hydroboration exhibits a broad functional groups compatibility, giving the corresponding alkenyl diboronates and monoboronates in good to high yields with exclusive regio- and stereoselectivities.