The current utility and future potential of multiborylated alkanes

Organoboron chemistry has become a cornerstone of modern synthetic methodology. Most of these reactions use an organoboron starting material that contains just one C(sp²)–B or C(sp³)–B bond; however, there has been a recent and accelerating trend to prepare multiborylated alkanes that possess two or more C(sp³)–B bonds. This is despite a lack of general reactivity, meaning many of these compounds currently offer limited downstream synthetic value. This Review summarizes recent advances in the exploration of multiborylated alkanes, including a discussion on how these products may be elaborated in further synthetic manipulations.