Beauty Lies in Simplicity: Suzuki–Miyaura sp 2 –sp 2 Cross‐Coupling Catalysed by Cobalt Complex With Commercially Available Monodentate N‐Donor Ligand

ABSTRACT Simple and readily accessible monodentate pyridine ligands enable cobalt‐catalysed sp 2 –sp 2 Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling. We report a well‐defined Co(II) complex bearing commercially available 3,5‐lutidine as a simple N‐donor ligand. Readily prepared from CoBr 2 and 3,5‐lutidine, the bench‐stable catalyst promotes the coupling of diverse aryl chlorides and bromides, including heteroaryl substrates, with a range of arylboronic esters to afford biaryl products in synthetically useful yields. The catalytic system operates at low catalyst loading, avoids phosphine ligands and offers a simple and readily accessible approach to cobalt‐catalysed Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling.