Facile synthesis of Bidentate Boron Lewis Acids by Pentafluorobenzene Elimination

Abstract The obtained results reveal simple synthetic approach for bidentate boron Lewis acids with the ‐OB(C 6 F 5 ) 2 acid group and aliphatic or aromatic linkers. Computational results showed comparable FIA for the ‐OB(C 6 F 5 ) 2 site in boron bidentate Lewis acids relative to initial B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 . The relative Lewis acid strength of R[OB(C 6 F 5 ) 2 ] 2 (R=C 2 H 4 , p‐C 6 H 4 , m‐C 6 H 4 ) was characterized by Gutman‐Beckett tests. The elimination of pentafluorobenzene by the reaction of R‐OH with B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 can be used for the synthesis of R‐OB(C 6 F 5 ) 2 derivatives and polydentate strong Lewis acids.