Magnesium amide catalyzed selective hydroboration of esters.

Magnesium amide complexes such as Mg{N(SiMe3 )2 }2 (1)xyl LMgN(SiMe3 )2 ·THF (2) [xyl L = ArNC(Ni Pr2 )NAr; (Ar = 2,6-Me2 -C6 H3 )] anddipp LMgN(SiMe3 )2 ·THF (3) [dipp L = ArNC(Ni Pr2 )NAr; (Ar = 2,6-i Pr2 -C6 H3 )] 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.