Hydroboration-oxidation is a big deal in organic chemistry. It’s a way to add water to alkenes and alkynes in a specific way (called anti-Markovnikov addition). Herbert Charles Brown discovered this reaction, and it even won him the Nobel Prize in 1979.
Let’s break down the mechanism of hydroboration-oxidation, looking at how it works with both alkenes and alkynes. We’ll pay special attention to regioselectivity (where things attach) and stereochemistry (the 3D arrangement of atoms).
This reaction happens in two main steps: first, hydroboration, then oxidation.