Nickel-catalyzed trans-alkynylboration of alkynes via activation of a boron-chlorine bond.

Reaction of (diisopropylamino)chloroboryl ethers of alkynols with alkynylstannanes in the presence of nickel catalysts afforded formal trans-alkynylboration products in good yields. The products were isolated as pinacol boronates after treatment of the crude reaction mixture with acetic anhydride and pinacol in the presence of a base. The trans-alkynylboration products underwent Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction with organic halides. A 2-borylalkenylnickel(II) complex, in which the boryl and nickel groups are located in a trans fashion, was isolated in a reaction of the chloroboryl ether with a single equivalent of a nickel(0)-phosphine complex.