Stereospecific 1,2‐Migrations of Boronate Complexes Induced by Electrophiles

The stereospecific 1,2‐migration of boronate complexes is one of the most representative reactions in boron chemistry. This process has been used extensively to develop powerful methods for asymmetric synthesis, with applications spanning from pharmaceuticals to natural products. Typically, 1,2‐migration of boronate complexes is driven by displacement of an α‐leaving group, oxidation of an α‐boryl radical, or electrophilic activation of an alkenyl boronate complex. The aim of this article is to summarize the recent advances in the rapidly expanding field of electrophile‐induced stereospecific 1,2‐migration of groups from boron to sp2 and sp3 carbon centers. It will be shown that three different conceptual approaches can be utilized to enable the 1,2‐migration of boronate complexes: stereospecific Zweifel‐type reactions, catalytic conjunctive coupling reactions, and transition metal‐free sp2–sp3 couplings. A discussion of the reaction scope, mechanistic insights, and synthetic applications of the work described is also presented. Electrophile‐induced stereospecific 1,2‐migration of boronate complexes has been successfully applied in many asymmetric reactions. Typically, the electrophilic species provides the activation required for the boronate complex to undergo the desired migration of a group from boron to the adjacent sp2‐ or sp3‐hybridized carbon. Such activating species range from stoichiometric classical electrophiles to transition metal complexes present in catalytic quantities.