organic chemistry - Why does boron add to the less substituted carbon in the hydroboration of an alkene?

In the hydroboration of a typical alkene, the boron fragment ends up attached to the less substituted carbon:

What are the electronic or steric factors that lead to this regioselectivity?

Answer

For the hydroboration of isobutene

there is a steric aspect:

And though sterics may play some part, it doesn't explain near 100% regioselectivity. More important in determining regiochemistry, I would say, are the electronics of the transition state:

Boron is electrophilic, and as such will draw the electron density of the alkene π-bond towards itself. This C–B bond formation occurs earlier than the C–H bond formation, which in turn imparts a partial positive charge to the other carbon of the double bond in the transition state of the reaction.

This somewhat resembles a carbocation, which you might remember are stabilized by additional substituents via hyperconjugation. Thus, hydroboration results in an anti-Markovnikov product for mostly the same reason that acid catalyzed hydration results in a Markovnikov product — stabilization of positive charge.