Process for the trans-selective hydroboration of internal alkynes

1. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes comprising the steps of reacting an alkyne of the formula I:

with a borane of the formula X 1 X 2 BH in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst to yield an alkene of the general formula (II):

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are each be selected from:

a. straight chain or branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, said aliphatic hydrocarbons optionally including heteroatoms and/or aromatic hydrocarbons and/or heteroaromatic hydrocarbons in the chain and/or having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 5 -C 8 -heterocycloalkyl or C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, or heteroatoms, or

b. aromatic hydrocarbons having 5 to 20 carbon atoms or heteroaromatic hydrocarbons having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, said aromatic or heteroaromatic hydrocarbons each optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 5 -C 8 -heterocycloalkyl or C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroatoms, or

R 1 and R 2 together form an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain having 4 to 30 carbon atoms, optionally including heteroatoms and/or aromatic hydrocarbons in the chain and/or optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 5 -C 8 -heterocycloalkyl or C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, said aliphatic hydrocarbon chain optionally being substituted by one or more substituents selected from heterosubstituents, straight chain, branched chain, cyclic aliphatic C 1 to C 20 hydrocarbons, C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon, aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, or heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl or heteroatoms;

wherein the borane of the formula X 1 X 2 BH is selected from the group of dialkyl boranes or di(alkoxy)boranes wherein X 1 and X 2 are the same or different and are each selected from straight chain, branched chain or cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, or X 1 and X 2 together form an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, said aliphatic hydrocarbon—group or chain—optionally bound to the boron via an —O-bridge and optionally including heteroatoms in the chain and/or optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 5 -C 8 -heterocycloalkyl or C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 1 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, having identical or different alkyl groups with 2 to 12 carbon atoms or heteroatoms; and

wherein the catalyst used in the inventive process is a cyclyopentadienyl-coordinated ruthenium complex containing the following substructure:

wherein R cp1 to R cp5 are the same or different and are each selected from hydrogen or from straight chain, branched chain or cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, optionally including heteroatoms and/or aromatic hydrocarbons in the chain and/or optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, heterocycloalkyl, C 5 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl or heteroatoms and wherein further ligands L are coordinated to the central atom ruthenium.

2. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 wherein, in formulas (I) and (II):

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are each selected from straight chain or branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbons having 1 to 20 carbon atoms optionally including heteroatoms and/or aromatic hydrocarbons in the chain or aromatic hydrocarbons having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 5 -C 8 -heterocycloalkyl or C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, or heteroatoms, or

R 1 and R 2 together form an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain structure having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, optionally including heteroatoms and/or aromatic hydrocarbons in the chain and/or optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, C 5 -C 8 -heterocycloalkyl or C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, said chain structure optionally being substituted by one or more substituents selected from heterosubstituents, straight chain, branched chain, cyclic aliphatic C 1 to C 20 hydrocarbons, C 6 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon, aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, or heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl.

3. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 , wherein, in the formula X 1 X 2 BH, X 1 and X 2 are each bound to the boron atom via an —O-bridge and form a hydrocarbon ring having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, said hydrocarbon ring optionally being substituted by one or more substituents selected from heterosubstituents, C 1 to C 6 straight chain, branched chain or cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, as represented by the general formula (III):

4. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 3 wherein, in the formula X 1 X 2 BH, X 1 and X 2 are each bound to the boron atom via an —O-bridge and form a hydrocarbon ring having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, said hydrocarbon ring, optionally being substituted by one or more substituents selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl or isomers thereof.

5. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 , wherein pinacolborane (pin-H, 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane) is used as boran of the formula X 1 X 2 BH:

6. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 , wherein 4,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborinane is used as borane of the formula X 1 X 2 BH:

7. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is [Cp*RuL 3 ]X wherein Cp*=η 5 -C 5 R 5cp with each R cp being H or lower alkyl, and L being the same or different ligand/substituent and being selected from electron-donating ligands/substituents, and X is an anionic counter ion.

8. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 , wherein the following complex is used as catalyst:

wherein the substituent R is selected from R═H, Me and X ⊖ is an anionic counter ion.

9. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 7 , wherein the anionic counterion is selected from PF 6 − , SbF 6 − , BF 4 − , ClO 4 − , F 3 CCOO − , Tf 2 N − , (Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl), TfO − , tosyl, [B[3,5-(CF 3 ) 2 C 6 H 3 ] 4 ] − , B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 − or Al(OC(CF 3 ) 3 ) 4 .

10. Process for highly stereoselective trans-hydroboration of internal alkynes according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is selected from the following complexes:

wherein the substituent X is selected from Cl, Br, I.

11. Method of using a ruthenium catalyst comprising a cyclyopentadienyl-coordinated ruthenium complex containing the following substructure:

wherein R cp1 to R cp5 are the same or different and are each selected from hydrogen or from straight chain, branched chain or cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, optionally including heteroatoms and/or aromatic hydrocarbons in the chain and/or optionally having one or more substituents selected from C 1 -C 20 -alkyl, heterocycloalkyl, C 5 to C 20 aromatic hydrocarbon, C 5 to C 20 heteroaromatic hydrocarbon or aryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl or heteroatoms and wherein further ligands L are coordinated to the central atom ruthenium, in a hydroboration reaction in the presence of an organic boron compound.