This Perspective describes general methods for the preparation of polyfunctional zinc organometallics and their use in Negishi cross-coupling reactions. Recent advances including new ligands and palladium catalysts are described. Related Negishi cross-coupling reactions involving Ni-, Cu-, Co-, and Fe-catalyzed cross-couplings are covered. The availability of a range of zinc organometallics combined with new efficient catalysts allows for efficient crosscoupling reactions with various organic electrophiles under usually mild conditions.

We report a cobalt-catalyzed cross-coupling of di(hetero)arylzinc reagents with primary and secondary alkyl iodides or bromides using THF-soluble CoCl2 ⋅2 LiCl and TMEDA as a ligand, which leads to the corresponding alkylated products in up to 88 % yield. A range of functional groups (e.g. COOR, CN, CF3 , F) are tolerated in these substitution reactions. Remarkably, we do not observe rearrangement of secondary alkyl iodides to unbranched products. Additionally, the use of cyclic TBS-protected iodohydrins leads to trans-2-arylcyclohexanol derivatives in excellent diastereoselectivities (up to d.r.=99:1).

A general method for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoles has been developed. Starting from commercially available oxazole, successive metalations using TMPMgCl·LiCl or TMPZnCl·LiCl led to the corresponding magnesiated or zincated species which were stable toward ring fragmentation. Furthermore, they readily reacted with various electrophiles, such as aryl and allylic halides, acid chlorides, TMSCl, and TMS-CN, providing highly functionalized oxazoles.

We report a robust and broadly applicable CoCl -catalyzed cross-coupling between functionalized aryl and heteroaryl zinc pivalates and various electron-poor aryl and heteroaryl halides (X=Cl, Br, I). Couplings with (E)- or (Z)-bromo- or iodo-alkenes proceed with retention of configuration. Also, alkynyl bromides react with arylzinc pivalates providing arylated alkynes.

A catalytic system consisting of CoCl2 ⋅2 LiCl (5 mol %) and HCO2 Na (50 mol %) enables the cross-coupling of various N-heterocyclic chlorides and bromides as well as aromatic halogenated ketones with various electron-rich and -poor arylzinc reagents. The reactions reached full conversion within a few hours at 25 °C.