High-Valent-Cobalt-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization Based on Concerted Metalation-Deprotonation and Single-Electron-Transfer Mechanisms

C-H functionalization has been established as a powerful strategy for the commercial construction of organic molecules. This review encompasses the most recent advances in C-H activation catalyzed by earth-abundant cobalt complexes, involving two types of fundamental reaction paths, that is, the concerted metalation-deprotonation (CMD) path associated with non-oxidative C-H activation and the intermolecular single-electron-transfer (SET) path. Transformations catalyzed by high-valent cobalt based on the two mechanisms and used in organic syntheses, including those involving C-C and C-X (X=O and N) bond formation, are herein presented.