Magnesium Borohydride Confined in a Metal-Organic Framework: A Preorganized System for Facile Arene Hydroboration

In close quarters: When confined in a metal-organic framework, magnesium borohydride reacts with arenes by a hydroboration pathway (see scheme), in contrast to its reactivity under analogous homogeneous solution-phase conditions. Framework-imposed organization of the reactive groups is required, which is achieved by a combination of the metal coordination and two hydrogen bonds.