Boron tribromide (BBr3) is an inorganic compound, colorless or slightly yellowish liquid. The compound is veryunstable, smokes in air, actively reacts with water to form boric acid and hydrogen bromide; when mixed with methanolin air, the latter ignites. Used for demethylation and dealkylation. It is used in pharmacology, electronics. The maximumallowable concentration of boron tribromide in the air of the working area is 2 mg/m³. Refers to “moderately hazardous”substances (3rd class of toxicity).Boron tribromide has the properties of a Lewis acid, which is due to the presence of a free electron orbital on theboron atom, which it can provide for filling with electrons from donor atoms. Usually such atoms are oxygen or sulfuratoms. The ability to form complex compounds makes it possible to use tribromide complexes as catalysts for variouschemical processes, in particular, diene synthesis reactions (Diels-Alder reaction), aminomethylation reactions (Mannichreaction) and a number of other chemical reactions. The presented work shows the use of tribromide complexes as catalysts for the above reactions, as well as the results of the author’s own research. In this work, a complex catalyst basedon boron tribromide was used in an asymmetric reaction of diene synthesis with the participation of cyclopentadiene andallyl alcohol to obtain chiral norbornenylmethanol, which was subsequently used in a three-component aminomethylationreaction with the participation of secondary amines and formaldehyde. The effect of various reaction parameters on theyield and enantioselectivity of this reaction was studied. The main fields of application of the synthesized adducts areshown.
