The First Synthesis of Organic Diselenolates: Application to the Synthesis of Diorganyl Diselenides

The addition of elemental selenium to organolithium compounds 1 or organic selenates 2 gives organic diselenolates 3. The reactions proceed by the insertion of two selenium atoms into the carbon-metal bonds or of one selenium atom into a selenolate. Evidence for the existence of n-butyldisilenol has also been obtained.