Advances in Base-Metal Catalysis: Development of a Screening Platform for Nickel-Catalyzed Borylations of Aryl (Pseudo)halides with B2(OH)4

Investigations into nickel-catalyzed borylation reactions have led to the development of an experimental design of 24 reaction conditions for rapid lead identification. A case study on the borylation of a model aryl bromide with B2(OH)4 prompted a series of mechanistic and stability studies to better understand the catalytic cycle and factors that affect robustness. HTEx was employed to study the effect of a series of scavengers on the remediation of nickel from the reaction stream. These combined results have generated an increased understanding of nickel-catalyzed borylation reactions and set the stage for their expanded use in process chemistry.