Cobalt-Catalyzed Alkene Alkylarylation: Access to Pyrrolidinones

Practical cyclization and cross-coupling reactions between alkenyl-substituted alkyl bromides and arylzinc pivalates via cobalt-catalyzed sequential C(sp³)-C(sp³)/C(sp³)-C(sp²) bond formation have been disclosed, thus providing straightforward access to structurally diverse pyrrolidinones. Moreover, this approach could be also effective for the modular preparation of spirocyclic pyrrolidinones through spirocyclized alkene alkylarylation. Beyond that, rather mild conditions, synthetic simplicity, and excellent functional group compatibility show the potential applications of this method in synthetic chemistry.