Cobalt-catalyzed addition of azoles to alkynes.

A ternary catalytic system consisting of a cobalt salt, a diphosphine ligand, and a Grignard reagent promotes syn-addition of an azole C(2)-H bond across an unactivated internal alkyne with high chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivities under mild conditions. Mechanistic experiments suggest that the reaction involves oxidative addition of the oxazolyl C-H bond to the cobalt center, alkyne insertion into the Co-H bond, and reductive elimination of the resulting diorganocobalt species.