Kinetics of the borane reduction of pinacolone in THF catalyzed by two different oxazaboroles

For the first time the kinetics of the borane reduction of a ketone catalyzed by oxazaboroles have been studied experimentally. Pinacolone (P) and BH3-THF are the reagents used, 1-phenyl-3,3-diethylperhydropyrrolo[ 1,2-c][1,3,2]oxazaborole la and 1,3,3-triphenylperhydropyrrolo[ 1,2c][1,3,2]oxazaborole Ib the catalysts. The reaction of the ketone P with the oxazaborole-borane complex is the rate determining step of the catalytic cycle. The corresponding rate constant is about 40 times larger for Ib than for la. The presence of NaBH4, which is the stabilizer in commercial BH3-THF solutions, leads to a drastic acceleration of both the catalyzed and the direct borane reduction.