Cobalt(II)-catalyzed -C(sp)-H selective hydroxylation of naphthalene monoimides.

Reported herein is an efficient and eco-friendly -selective monohydroxylation of naphthalene monoimides (NMIs) to access 4-hydroxy NMIs, which possess multidisciplinary applications. The key aspect of this method is the utilization of cobalt(II)-catalysis a single electron transfer mechanism to achieve site-selective C(sp)-hydroxylation. Transformation of the hydroxyl group into pseudohalides reveals its applications towards cross-coupling reactions.