Iron-catalyzed C-H borylation of arenes.

Well-defined iron bis(diphosphine) complexes are active catalysts for the dehydrogenative C-H borylation of aromatic and heteroaromatic derivatives with pinacolborane. The corresponding borylated compounds were isolated in moderate to good yields (25-73%) with a 5 mol% catalyst loading under UV irradiation (350 nm) at room temperature. Stoichiometric reactivity studies and isolation of an original trans-hydrido(boryl)iron complex, Fe(H)(Bpin)(dmpe)2, allowed us to propose a mechanism showing the role of some key catalytic species.