Mechanistic Origins of Regioselectivity in Cobalt-Catalyzed C(sp²)-H Borylation of Benzoate Esters and Arylboronate Esters

Carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds are ubiquitous in organic molecules, and methods for their selective functionalization to more reactive functional groups is a long-standing goal in catalysis, as applied to organic synthesis. Of the established methods involving transition metal catalysts, many employ carefully engineered substrate-catalyst interactions, placing the targeted C–H bond proximal to the metal catalyst, resulting in activation and subsequent functionalization. Here, we report mechanistic investigations describing a conceptual alternative to this approach whereby a cobalt-based borylation catalyst differentiates between subtle electronic differences in C(sp²)-H bonds of benzoate esters and arylboronate esters. These advances motivate studies of catalysts that rely on inherent differences in C–H bond electronics to distinguish chemically inequivalent sites, providing a new tool for organic synthesis.