Cobalt-Catalyzed Preparation of N-Heterocyclic Organozinc Reagents from Heteroaryl Chlorides

Various substituted and unsubstituted N-heterocyclic chlorides have been converted into their corresponding organozinc species using zinc dust in the presence of zinc pivalate and 10% CoCl2 in benzonitrile at 25 °C. The resulting heteroarylzinc reagents were obtained in 43–98% yield within 9–48 h and reacted with a range of electrophiles, leading to the functionalized heteroarenes.