Allyl transfer to aldehydes and ketones by Brønsted acid activation of allyl and crotyl 1,3,2-dioxazaborolidines

Alkyl dioxazaborolidines are air-stable and often crystalline organoboranes. A variety of Brønsted acids activate allyl dioxazaborolidines to generate reactive allyl-transfer reagents in situ. These reagents add to aldehydes and ketones to generate the corresponding alcohols in good yields under mild conditions. The E- and Z-crotyl reagents react diastereoselectively with aldehydes and ketones to produce anti and syn adducts, respectively, a result consistent with a cyclic transition state (type I mechanism).