Efficient and selective external activator-free cobalt catalyst for hydroboration of terminal alkynes enabled by BiPyPhos.

Herein, a robust catalyst system, composed of a bipyridine-based diphosphine ligand (BiPyPhos) and a cobalt precursor Co(acac)2, is successfully developed and applied in the hydroboration of terminal alkynes, exclusively affording various versatile ß-E-vinylboronates in high yields at room temperature.