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The Borane Adventure — Past, Present and Future
Author(s) -
Brown Herbert C.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
israel journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.908
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1869-5868
pISSN - 0021-2148
DOI - 10.1002/ijch.198500014
Subject(s) - hydroboration , diborane , chemistry , borane , boranes , organic synthesis , sodium borohydride , organic chemistry , reagent , combinatorial chemistry , nanotechnology , boron , catalysis , materials science
Forty‐eight years ago, diborane was a chemical rarity, available only in two laboratories in the world. The requirements of research during World War II led to the discovery of practical synthetic methods of diborane and to the discovery of sodium borohydride. These turned out to be excellent reducing agents in organic chemistry. Exploration of these reducing characteristics led to the discovery of hydroboration. Hydroboration made organoboranes readily available. These organoboranes have proven to be the most versatile intermediates now available for organic synthesis. A recent development makes possible the synthesis of essentially any compound containing a chiral center in both optical isomers in essentially 100% optical purity. Thus this research program has taken boranes from a material available only in trace quantities to a reagent widely used in organic synthesis, greatly assisting the chemist in overcoming synthetic difficulties.