Alkylation of aldehydes with trialkylboranes in water

Water enables the alkylation of aldehydes with trialkylboranes under nickel catalysis without the addition of a base. Trialkylboranes prepared from borane-dimethyl sulfide and terminal olefins via hydroboration as well as commercially available trialkylboranes could be employed for the reaction. The reaction would proceed via eta(2)-coordinated nickel complexes with aldehydes as the key intermediates.