Photocatalyst-free, visible-light-induced borylation and selenylation of aryltriazenes.

Organoboron compounds, particularly arylboronate esters, are indispensable building blocks in organic synthesis and serve as key intermediates in chemical reactions for the preparation of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional materials. In this study, a novel visible-light-driven borylation of aryltriazenes for the synthesis of arylboronate esters is described. Aryltriazenes were reacted with bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2pin2) in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid as an additive under blue LED irradiation without requiring transition-metal catalysts. Using this protocol, a broad range of arylboronate esters were successfully synthesized under mild conditions. The protocol was extended to C-Se bond formation using diphenyl diselenide, providing unsymmetrical diaryl selenides. Overall, this method represents a promising and sustainable approach for the functionalization of aryltriazenes.