Bis-guanidinate magnesium amide-catalyzed hydroboration of nitriles and isocyanides <i>via</i> a substrate-assisted pathway

Magnesium catalysis : A bis-guanidinate magnesium amido complex enables the first example of a substrate-assisted catalytic dihydroboration of nitriles and isocyanides, with the isolation of key intermediates and elucidation of catalytic cycles.