A convenient method for the synthesis of optically active trans-hydroxyselenides and trans-hydroxydiselenides from the bicyclic terpene group based on the reactions of sodium selenide or sodium diselenide with cis- and trans-(+)-3-carane, trans-(+)-2-carane and (-)-beta-pinane epoxides is described. The corresponding cis-hydroxy and cis-methoxydiselenides were obtained in the reaction of sodium diselenide with beta-hydroxy- and beta-methoxytosylates. The influence of a hydroxy group at the beta-position on the diastereomeric ratio of the products of the asymmetric methoxyselenenylation of styrene has been established by composition of the products, crystal structure analyses, and theoretical calculations using a DFT method on the B3LYP level (6-311G(d)). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.