Electrochemical Nickel-Catalyzed Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Diorganyl Selanes from Diaryl Diselanes and Aryl and Alkyl Iodides

Abstract

The synthesis of unsymmetrical diorganyl selanes was accomplished under electrochemical conditions in an undivided cell utilizing a magnesium cathode and a carbon anode made out of aryl and alkyl iodides and diselanes. This electrochemical cross-electrophile coupling (eXEC) was accomplished using a simple nickel catalyst formed in situ out of Ni(acac)2 and 2,2′-bipyridine in DMF at ambient temperatures. The reaction showed good functional group compatibility, and heteroaryl iodides, such as thiophene or pyridine derivatives, were well accepted.

Keywords

• catalysis
• diselanes
• selanes
• nickel
• electrochemistry
• aryl iodides