Stabilization of CoI by ZnII in pure acetonitrile and its reaction with aryl halides.

The study of the electrochemical behavior of cobalt(II) bromide (CoBr(2)) in pure acetonitrile allowed us to demonstrate that Co(2+) is the catalyst precursor involved in the electrochemical and chemical conversions of arylhalides, ArX, to arylzinc compounds in that solvent. The reduction of Co(2+) leads to the Co(+) species, which disproportionates too rapidly to react further with aryl halides. However, the presence of zinc(II) bromide allows us to stabilize the electrogenerated cobalt(I) and to observe it on the timescale of slow cyclic voltammetry. Under such conditions, the Co(I) species has time to react with aryl halides and produce [Co(III)ArX](+) complexes that are reduced into [Co(II)ArX] by a single electron uptake at the same potential at which Co(2+) is reduced. Rate constants for the oxidative addition of ArX to Co(I) have been determined for various aryl halides and compared to the values obtained in an acetonitrile (ACN)/pyridine (9:1, v/v) mixture. It is shown that Co(I) is stabilized more by ZnBr(2) than by pyridine. A transmetallation reaction between [Co(II)ArX] and ZnBr(2) has also been observed. We finally propose a mechanism for the cobalt-catalyzed electrochemical conversion of aryl bromides into organozinc species in pure acetonitrile.

Mechanism of the electrochemical conversion of aryl halides to arylzinc compounds by cobalt catalysis in DMF/pyridine.

The study of the electrochemical behavior of cobalt bromide, CoBr2, in the presence of zinc bromide, ZnBr2, and aryl halides, ArX, in a dimethylformamide (DMF)/pyridine (9:1, v/v) mixture allowed us to complete the study of the mechanism of the electrochemical conversion of aryl halides into arylzinc compounds by using cobalt catalysis. The last step of the catalytic process has been shown to be a transmetalation reaction between the arylcobalt(II) species and zinc ions that regenerates the cobalt(II) catalyst. The effect of zinc bromide on each step of the catalytic cycle has been studied. It is especially shown that the presence of ZnBr2 stabilizes the electrogenerated Co1 but has no effect on the rate constant of the oxidative addition of aryl halides, ArX, to Co1. Rate constants for the disproportionation reaction of Co1 and the oxidative addition have been determined in the presence of ZnBr2 and compared with the values obtained in its absence.