Abstract A new synthetic approach to hydroboranes catechol-, pinacol-, and neopentylglycolborane has been developed. Starting from diboranes (4) B 2 cat 2, B 2 pin 2, or B 2 neop 2, the respective boranes were obtained by heterogeneously catalyzed cleavage of the B [BOND] B bond in the respective diboranes with hydrogen. Group 10 metals were found to be effective catalysts for this reaction.
[Lawrence, Joshua D.; Takahashi, Makoto; Bae, Chulsung; Hartwig, John F. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2004 , vol. 126, # 47 p. 15334 - 15335]