Process for producing catecholborane

摘要

A process is described in which catecholborane is produced by a reaction of a phenolic compound with a boron hydride in a solvent. Tris(catecholato)bisborane, i.e. the ester of boric acid and catechol, is reacted with an alkali metal-boron hydride in an aliphatic ether. A lithium halide is suitably used too, where sodium-boron hydride or potassium-boron hydride is employed. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction is carried out in conjunction with an activating grinding operation.