Triisopropyl borate → 1-Benzothien-7-ylboronic acid

Combine 7-bromobenzo[b]thiophene (300 g, 1.41 mmol) and tri-isopropylborate (403.6 g, 2.15 mmol) in anhydrous THF (4 L) in a 12-L Morton flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer and cool under nitrogen in a dry-ice/acetone bath to −70° C. Add n-butyl lithium (1.6 M in hexane, 714 g, 1.68 mmol) dropwise at such a rate as to keep the internal temperature less than −67.5° C. After the addition is complete allow the reaction mixture to stir at this temperature for 1 h. Remove the cooling bath and slowly add 4 L of water, which causes the temperature to rise to about −5° C. Next, add concentrated HCl (75 mL) until the pH of the solution is about pH=2. Allow the slurry to stir for 1 h. Add sufficient 5 N aqueous NaOH to adjust the pH of the mixture to about pH=12 and transfer to a 22-L bottom-drop funnel. Separate and save the lower aqueous layer. Dilute the upper organic layer with 4 L of methyl-tert-butyl ether and extract with 1 L of 5 N aqueous NaOH. Separate the aqueous layer, combine with the previous aqueous extract, and place back in the separatory funnel. Wash the aqueous layer with additional methyl-tert-butyl ether (4 L). Again, separate the aqueous layer and transfer to a 12-L, 3-neck round bottom flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer. Cool the solution to +5° C. with an ice-water bath. Add concentrated HCl slowly until the pH of the solution is about pH=2. Stir the mixture for 30 minutes (min) and then filter off the resulting solid. Rinse the solid on the funnel twice with 2 L of water and allow to air-dry for 30 min. Place the solid in a vacuum oven at 50° C. and dry under vacuum overnight. Slurry the dried solid with 2 L of n-heptane for 30 min to remove the yellow color. Again, filter the solid, air-dry for 30 min, and then vacuum-dry at 40° C. overnight to afford the title compound (188.8 g, 75%) as a white solid. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.86 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.49-7.57 (m, 2H), 7.30-7.39 (m, 2H).