Phenylboronic acid or benzeneboronic acid, abbreviated as PhB(OH)2 where Ph is the phenyl group C6H5- and B(OH)2 is a boronic acid containing a phenyl substituent and two hydroxyl groups attached to boron. Phenylboronic acid is a white powder and is commonly used in organic synthesis. Boronic acids are mild Lewis acids which are generally stable and easy to handle, making them important to organic synthesis.
Other routes to phenylboronic acid involve electrophilic borates to trap phenylmetal intermediates from phenyl halides or from directed ortho-metalation.[4]Phenylsilanes and phenylstannanestransmetalate with BBr3, followed by hydrolysis form phenylboronic acid. Aryl halides or triflates can be coupled with diboronyl reagents using transition metal catalysts. Aromatic C-H functionalization can also be done using transition metal catalysts.
Phenylboronic acid participates in numerous cross coupling reactions where it serves as a source of a phenyl group. One example is the Suzuki reaction where, in the presence of a Pd(0) catalyst and base, phenylboronic acid and vinyl halides are coupled to produce phenyl alkenes.[7] This method was generalized to a route producing biaryls by coupling phenylboronic acid with aryl halides.
C-C bond forming processes commonly use phenylboronic acid as a reagent. Alpha-amino acids can be generated using the uncatalyzed reaction between alpha-ketoacids, amines, and phenylboronic acid.[8] Heck-type cross coupling of phenylboronic acid and alkenes and alkynes has been demonstrated.[9]
^Snyder, H. R.; Kuck, J. A.; Johnson, J. R. (1938). "Organoboron Compounds, and the Study of Reaction Mechanisms. Primary Aliphatic Boronic Acids". J. Am. Chem. Soc.60: 105–111. doi:10.1021/ja01268a033.
^Petasis, N. A.; Xavialov, I. A. (1997). "A New and Practical Synthesis of α-Amino Acids from Alkenyl Boronic Acids". J. Am. Chem. Soc.119 (2): 445. doi:10.1021/ja963178n.
^Ainley, A. D.; Challenger, F. (1930). "Studies of the boron–carbon linkage. Part I. The oxidation and nitration of phenylboric acid". J. Chem. Soc.: 2171. doi:10.1039/JR9300002171.
Further reading
Brown, H.C. Organic Synthesis via Boranes, Wiley, New York, 1975. ISBN0471112801
Matteson, D. S. Stereodirected Synthesis with Organoboranes, Springer, Berlin, 1995. ISBN978-3-540-59182-5