What is hydroboration oxidation in alkenes?

1 Answer
Ernest Z.
Jul 20, 2015

Hydroboration-oxidation is a method of making alcohols from alkenes.

Explanation:

It involves the addition of #"BH"_3# to an alkene, followed by oxidation with alkaline hydrogen peroxide to form an alcohol.

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The reaction is a Markovnikov addition of #"BH"_3# to the alkene

On oxidation of the boron intermediate, the #"OH"# group ends up on the less substituted carbon.

This is opposite to the position of the #"OH"# group in the acid-catalyzed Markovnikov addition of water to an alkene, so the reaction is often called the anti-Markovnikov addition of water to an alkene.

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