Benzoxaborole Catalyst for Site-Selective Modification of Polyols

The site-selective modification of polyols bearing several hydroxyl groups without the use of protecting groups remains a significant challenge in synthetic chemistry. To address this problem, novel benzoxaborole derivatives were designed as efficient catalysts for the highly site-selective and protecting-group-free modification of polyols. To identify the effective substituent groups enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity, a series of benzoxaborole catalysts 1a-k were synthesized. In-depth analysis for the substituent effect revealed that 1i-k, bearing multiple electron-withdrawing fluoro- and trifluoromethyl groups, exhibited the greatest catalytic activity and selectivity. Moreover, 1i-catalyzed benzoylation, tosylation, benzylation, and glycosylation of various cis-1,2-diol derivatives proceeded with good yield and site-selective manner.