Rhodium catalysed dehydrogenative borylation of vinylarenes and 1,1-disubstituted alkenes without sacrificial hydrogenation - a route to 1,1-disubstituted vinylboronates

The complex trans-[Rh(Cl)(CO)(PPh3)(2)] (1) is an efficient catalyst precursor for the dehydrogenative borylation of alkenes without consumption of half the alkene substrate by hydrogenation, giving useful vinylboronate esters including 1,1-disubstituted derviatives that cannot be made by alkyne hydroboration.