A method for the bromination of α‐diazo phenylacetate derivatives using cobalt(II) bromide is described. This bromination reaction features a short reaction time, broad substrate scope, operational simplicity, acid‐free conditions, and gram‐scalability.
A visible-light-induced bromination of α-diazo compounds by using bromoform as bromine source was developed, providing a green synthetic route to α-bromoesters. This protocol features no use of a photocatalyst or an additive, and a broad substrate scope. Its practicality was demonstrated by the gram-scale reaction and several valuable follow-up transformations.