Allylic Selenosulfide Rearrangement: A Method for Chemical Ligation to Cysteine and Other Thiols

Alkylation of potassium selenosulfate with allylic halides gives Se-allyl seleno Bunte salts. On reaction with thiols at room temperature, these afford mixed dialkyl selenosulfides, which undergo 2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement with loss of selenium, either spontaneously or with assistance by triphenylphosphine, thereby providing mixed dialkyl sulfides and a new permanent chemical ligation method. The process is illustrated through the lipidation of cysteine-containing tripeptides and by the allylation of 1-thioglucose tetraacetate.