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.