Thexylborane
Thexylborane is a borane with the formula 2. The name derives from "t-hexylborane", and the formula is often abbreviated ThxBH2. A colorless liquid, it is a monoalkylborane. It is produced by the hydroboration of tetramethylethylene:
Reactions
Thexylborane is generated in situ. In solution, it isomerizes over the course several days to the 2,3-dimethyl-1-butyl derivative, shown as the monomer here:Thexylborane allows the synthesis of ketones by coupling a pair of alkenes with carbon monoxide, which serves as a carbonyl linchpin:
An important feature of this reagent is that the thexyl group almost never undergoes anionotropic 1,2-migration from boron to a neighboring atom.