Although
gem
-diborylalkenes are known to be among
the most valuable reagents in modern organic synthesis, providing
a rapid access to a wide array of transformations, including the construction
of C–C and C-heteroatom bonds, their use as dienophile-reactive
groups has been rare. Herein we report the Diels–Alder (DA)
reaction of (unsymmetrical)
gem
-diborylalkenes. These
reactions provide a general and efficient method for the stereoselective
conversion of
gem
-diborylalkenes to rapidly access
1,1-bisborylcyclohexenes. Using the same DA reaction manifold with
borylated-dienes and
gem-
diborylalkenes, we also
developed a concise, highly regioselective synthesis of 1,1,2-tris-
and 1,1,3,4-tetrakis(boronates)cyclohexenes, a family of compounds
that currently lack efficient synthetic access. Furthermore, DFT calculations
provided insight into the underlying factors that control the chemo-,
regio-, and stereoselectivity of these DA reactions. This method also
provides stereodivergent syntheses of
gem-
diborylnorbornenes.
The utility of the
gem-
diborylnorbornene building
blocks was demonstrated by ring-opening metathesis polymerization
(ROMP), providing a highly modular approach to the first synthesis
of the
gem-
diboron-based polymers. Additionally,
these polymers have been successfully submitted to postpolymerization
modification reactions. Given its simplicity and versatility, we believe
that this novel DA and ROMP approach holds great promise for organoboron
synthesis as well as organoboron-based polymers and that it will result
in more novel transformations in both academic and industrial research.