Lewis base activation of borane-dimethylsulfide into strongly reducing ion pairs for the transformation of carbon dioxide to methoxyboranes.

The hydroboration of carbon dioxide into methoxyboranes by borane-dimethylsulfide using different base catalysts is described. A non-nucleophilic proton sponge is found to be the most active catalyst, with TOF reaching 64 h(-1) at 80 °C, and is acting via the activation of BH3·SMe2 into a boronium-borohydride ion pair.