Magnesium amide catalyzed selective hydroboration of esters.

Magnesium amide complexes such as Mg{N(SiMe3)2}2 (1) xylLMgN(SiMe3)2·THF (2) [xylL = ArNC(NiPr2)NAr; (Ar = 2,6-Me2-C6H3)] and dippLMgN(SiMe3)2·THF (3) [dippL = ArNC(NiPr2)NAr; (Ar = 2,6-iPr2-C6H3)] are reported as highly efficient pre-catalysts for the hydroboration of a wide range of esters using pinacolborane (HBpin) under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, we have shown compound 1 catalyzed chemoselective reduction of esters in the presence of other reducible functional groups such as alkene, alkyne and nitro.