Metal-Catalyzed Decaborane−Alkyne Hydroboration Reactions: Efficient Routes to Alkenyldecaboranes

Transition-metal-catalyzed decaborane−alkyne hydroboration reactions have been developed that provide high-yield routes to the previously unknown di- and monoalkenyldecaboranes. These alkenyl derivatives should be easily modified starting materials for many biomedical and/or materials applications. Unusual catalyst product selectivity was observed that suggests quite different mechanistic steps, with the reactions catalyzed by the [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 and [Cp*IrCl2]2 complexes giving the β−E alkenyldecaboranes and the corresponding reactions with the [RuI2(p-cymene)]2 complex giving the α-alkenyldecaborane isomers.