Cobalt-Catalyzed Oxidative C-H/C-H Cross-Coupling between Two Heteroarenes

The first example of cobalt-catalyzed oxidative C-H/C-H cross-coupling between two heteroarenes is reported, which exhibits a broad substrate scope and a high tolerance level for sensitive functional groups. When the amount of Co(OAc)(2)center dot 4H(2)O is reduced from 6.0 to 0.5 mol%, an excellent yield is still obtained at an elevated temperature with a prolonged reaction time. The method can be extended to the reaction between an arene and a heteroarene. It is worth noting that the Ag2CO3 oxidant is renewable. Preliminary mechanistic studies by radical trapping experiments, hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments, kinetic isotope effect, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) suggest that a single electron transfer (SET) pathway is operative, which is distinctly different from the dual C-H bond activation pathway that the well-described oxidative C-H/C-H cross-coupling reactions between two heteroarenes typically undergo.