Cobalt catalyzed defunctionalization reactions

Catalytic defunctionalization of complex molecules has attracted significant attention in organic synthesis. This reaction enables common functional groups to serve as "traceless handles" for the new bond construction. In this mini-review, we have summarized the latest advances, methodologies and mechanistic insights into the selective cleavage of C-C and C-X bonds catalyzed by cobalt complexes, shedding light on their increasing importance in modern chemical synthesis. The content of this review is categorized according to the type of functional group being removed from molecules.