Li+-mediated B-C cross-coupling

Abstract

Easy as A, B-C: B-C cross-coupling on [3,3'-Co(8-I-1,2-C(2)B(9)H(10))(1',2'-C(2)B(9)H(11))](-), [1](-), the best specimen of metallacarboranes, is easily produced in a reaction mediated by Li(+) in the absence of a transition-metal catalyst. Pure RLi or a mixture of Li reagents (tBuLi+RLi) is adequate to produce the B-C bond. Notably, a threshold of RLi (or tBuLi+RLi)/[1](-), 2:1, is required to initiate the B-C coupling, which acts, at least in part, as a source of soluble Li(+).