Highly Selective Hydroboration of Alkenes, Ketones and Aldehydes Catalyzed by a Well-Defined Manganese Complex.

Well-defined manganese complexes based on inexpensive, readily available ligands, 2,2': 6', 2 "-terpyridine and its derivatives have been prepared and employed for the selective hydroboration of alkenes, ketones and aldehydes. Highly Markovnikov regioselective hydroboration of styrenes as well as excellent chemoselective hydroboration of ketones over alkenes were achieved, for the first time, by an earth-abundant manganese catalyst.