Molecular addition compounds. 17. Borane and chloroborane adducts with organic sulfides for hydroboration

The following sulfides have been examined as borane carriers in comparison with dimethyl sulfide and 1,4-oxathiane: tert-butyl methyl sulfide, isoamyl methyl sulfide, ethyl isoamyl sulfide, tert-butyl isoamyl sulfide, diisoamyl sulfide, tetrahydrothiophene, tetrahydro-thiopyran, thioanisole, 3-ethylthiotetrahydrofuran, bis(3-tetrahydrofuryl) sulfide, and bis(2-methoxyethyl) sulfide. Their complexing ability toward borane increases in the following order: thioanisole < ether-sulfides < dialkyl sulfides < dimethyl sulfide. Borane adducts of the sulfides are liquids above 0 degrees C. The thioanisole adduct loses diborane at room temperature. The reactivity of the adducts toward 1-octene increases in the reversed order of the complexing ability of the sulfides. Diisoamyl sulfide has a mild, ethereal, agreeable aroma, its synthesis is economical and the borane adduct, 4.2 M in BH3, is stable over prolonged periods at room temperature. The sulfide can be recovered from hydroboration-oxidation products by distillation. Consequently, diisoamyl sulfide is a new promising borane carrier. Bis(2-methoxyethyl) sulfide, easily synthesized from the low cost thiodiethanol, is three times more soluble in water than 1,4-oxathiane. Its borane adduct is 6.0 M in BH3 and can substitute for more expensive borane-1,4-oxathiane in hydroboration reactions. Applications of these new borane adducts in the synthesis of mono- and dichloroborane adducts was also studied. The equilibrium ratios observed for the new chloroborane adducts were similar to that observed for dimethyl sulfide adducts. However, the hydroboration of 1-octene with these new chloroborane adducts are much faster than the corresponding adducts of dimethyl sulfide, which are currently used extensively.