Oxidation of Diphenyl Diselenide with 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ). A New Method for the Electrophilic Phenylselenenylation of Alkenes under Mild Conditions
The oxidation of diphenyl diselenide with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) represents a convenient mild method to produce a strongly electrophilic phenylselenium reagent. Clean phenylseleno methoxylations and hydroxylations of alkenes containing different types of functional groups can be effected by working in methanol or in acetonitrile and water, respectively. This new electrophilic reagent can also be employed to promote efficient cyclization reactions of alkenols to tetrahydrofurans or of alkenoic acids to lactones.
The oxidation of diphenyldiselenide with ammonium peroxydisulphate is a very simple and efficient method to produce phenylselenium cations in the absence of nucleophilic counter ions. The reaction carried out in the presence of an olefin, in acetonitrile or propionitrile containing trifluoromethanesulphonic acid and water afforded the amidoselenenylation products in good yield. The intramolecular