Electrosynthesis of functionalized organodizinc compounds from aromatic dihalides via a cobalt catalysis in acetonitrile/pyridine as solvent

Electroreduction of aryl-dichlorides or -dibromides in an electrochemical cell fitted with a sacrificial zinc anode and in the presence of cobalt halides as catalyst in acetonitrile/pyridine as solvent affords the corresponding organodizinc species in moderate to excellent yields with high selectivity.