Rhodium-Mediated Stoichiometric Synthesis of Mono-, Bi-, and Bis-1,2-Azaborinines: 1-Rhoda-3,2-azaboroles as Reactive Precursors.

A series of highly substituted 1,2-azaborinines, including a phenylene-bridged bis-1,2-azaborinine, was synthesized from the reaction of 1,2-azaborete rhodium complexes with variously substituted alkynes. 1-Rhoda-3,2-azaborole complexes, which are accessible by phosphine addition to the corresponding 1,2-azaborete complexes, were also found to be suitable precursors for the synthesis of 1,2-azaborinines and readily reacted with alkynyl-substituted 1,2-azaborinines to generate new regioisomers of bi-1,2-azaborinines, which feature directly connected aromatic rings. Their molecular structures, which can be viewed as boron-nitrogen isosteres of biphenyls, show nearly perpendicular 1,2-azaborinine rings. The new method using rhodacycles instead of 1,2-azaborete complexes as precursors is shown to be more effective, allowing the synthesis of a wider range of 1,2-azaborinines.