Facile access to β-hydroxyl ketones via a cobalt-catalyzed ring-opening/hydroxylation cascade of cyclopropanols

A cobalt-catalyzed ring-opening/hydroxylation cascade of highly strained cyclopropanols has been developed for the first time. The reaction was conducted under open-air atmosphere to afford a broad series of structurally diverse β-hydroxy ketones in moderate to good yields with high regioselectivity. The protocol features mild reaction conditions, simple operation, high-functional-group tolerance, facile scalability, and heterocycle compatibility.