Copper-catalyzed/promoted cross-coupling of gem-diborylalkanes with nonactivated primary alkyl halides: an alternative route to alkylboronic esters.

The first copper-catalyzed/promoted sp(3)-C Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of gem-diborylalkanes with nonactivated electrophilic reagents is reported. Not only 1, 1-diborylalkanes but also some other gem-diborylalkanes can be coupled with nonactivated primary alkyl halides, offering a new method for sp(3)C-sp(3)C bond formation and, simultaneously, providing a new strategy for the synthesis of alkylboronic esters.