Tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane-Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenation of N-Heterocycles

Catalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation is an environmentally benign way to desaturate organic compounds. This process is traditionally accomplished with transition-metal-based catalysts. Herein, a borane-catalyzed, metal-free acceptorless dehydrogenation of saturated N-heterocycles is disclosed. Tris(pentafluorophenyl) borane was identified as a versatile catalyst, which afforded several synthetically important N-heteroarenes in up to quantitative yield. Specifically, the present metal-free catalytic system exhibited a uniquely high tolerance toward sulfur functionalities, and demonstrated superior reactivity in the synthesis of benzothiazoles compared to conventional metal-catalyzed systems. This protocol can thus be regarded as the first example of metal-free acceptorless dehydrogenation in synthetic organic chemistry.