Decarboxylative Borylation of Redox-Active Esters by Au/Amine Catalysis

Abstract This study reports the decarboxylative borylation of redox-active esters catalyzed by supported Au nanoparticles in combination with a catalytic amount of an amine. The supported Au catalyst mediates single-electron transfer from the amine to the redox-active ester, generating an alkyl radical that is subsequently trapped by a diboron reagent to afford the corresponding alkylboronate. The catalytic system tolerates a wide range of functional groups and the supported Au catalyst can be reused over multiple cycles.