Boron Chemistry: An Overview

Boron compounds have been used extensively in organic synthesis for more than sixty years. Some of the best known organic reactions such as hydroboration and the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction involve organoboron derivatives. The study of compounds containing boronic acids for application in pharmaceuticals and materials science has grown tremendously over the last few decades. Several boron-containing protease inhibitors have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently. This chapter will introduce the reader to some of the basic properties and applications of boron compounds.