Nucleophile-Selective Selenocyclizations

Stable and easily available sulfide surrogates allow a stereoselective activation of alcohols

Isothiouronium salts are easily accessible and stable compounds. Herein, we report their use as versatile deoxasulfenylating agents enabling a stereoselective, thiol-free protocol for synthesis of thioethers from alcohols. The method is simple, scalable and tolerates a broad range of functional groups otherwise incompatible with other methods. Late-stage modification of several pharmaceuticals provides access to multiple analogues of biologically relevant molecules. Performed experiments give insight into the reaction mechanism.

A simple and scalable method for stereoselective synthesis of thioethers directly from alcohols using isothiouronium salts is presented. The utility of this thiol-free reaction was exemplified by late-stage modification of complex molecules.

Studies on the Zn(II)-mediated electrophilic selenocyclization and elimination of 3,4-O-isopropylidene-protected hydroxyalkenyl sulfides: synthesis of a 2-phenylselenenyl glycal

Herein, we describe a mild and efficient Zn(II)-mediated electrophilic selenocyclization reaction of readily available and stable 3,4-O-isopropylidene-protected hydroxyalkenyl sulfides to 2-deoxy-2-phenylselenenyl-1-thio-glycosides. This material was transformed into a 2-phenylselenenyl glycal in a controlled manner using an activation-elimination sequence.

Seleniranium ion-triggered reactions: new aspects of Friedel-Crafts and N-detosylative cyclizations

Seleniranium ions at low temperatures (-90 to -78 degrees C) will initiate effective Friedel-Crafts cyclization if a suitably placed arene is allowed to react even when the arene is unactivated. These intermediates generated from N-aryl-N-tosylamides undergo a novel, surprisingly efficient, detosylative cyclization to form 5- or 6-membered nitrogen heterocycles. A debenzylation route is preferred if both benzyl and tosyl groups are present in the substrate.

Diastereoselective synthesis of enantiopure morpholines by electrophilic selenium-induced 6-exo cyclizations on chiral 3-allyl-2-hydroxymethylperhydro-1,3-benzoxazine derivatives

Enantiopure morpholine derivatives have been prepared by selenocyclofunctionalization of chiral 3-allyl-2-hydroxymethyl-substituted perhydro-1,3-benzoxazine derivatives. The cyclization occurs in high yields and diastereoselection, although the temperature of the reaction and the structure of the substituent at C-2 and the substitution pattern of the double bond can modify the regio- and stereochemistry of the final products.

1,4-Asymmetric Induction in Methoxyselenenylation of Double Bonds at the Nitrogen Side of Chiral Perhydro-1,3-benzoxazines Promoted by Nonbonded Se···N Interactions

Regio- and diastereoselective methoxyselenenylation of cinnamylamines attached to a chiral perhydrobenzoxazine occurs in high yields by reaction with benzeneselenenyl chloride in dichloromethane-methanol. The diastereoselection is dependent on the temperature of the reaction and the structure of the substituent at C-2 and can be rationalized by accepting a 1,4-asymmetric induction process after coordination of the selenium to the nitrogen atom of the allylamine system.