New efficient preparation of arylzinc compounds from aryl halides using cobalt catalysis and sacrificial anode process

Electroreduction of aryl-chlorides or -bromides in an electrochemical cell fitted with a sacrificial zinc anode and in the presence of cobalt halide a ssociated with pyridine as ligand in DMF or acetonitrile as solvent affords the corresponding organozinc species in good yields.