Solvent-Controlled Halo-Selective Selenylation of Aryl Halides Catalyzed by Cu(II) Supported on Al 2 O 3 . A General Protocol for the Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Organo Mono- and Bis-Selenides

Alumina-supported Cu(II) efficiently catalyzes selenylation of aryl iodides and aryl bromides by diaryl, dialkyl, and diheteroaryl diselenides in water and PEG-600, respectively, leading to a general route toward synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl, aryl-alkyl, aryl-heteroaryl, and diheteroaryl selenides. A sequential reaction of bromoiodobenzene with one diaryl/diheteroaryl/dialkyl diselenide in water and another diaryl/diheteroaryl/dialkyl diselenide in PEG-600 in the second step produces unsymmetrical diaryl, diheteroaryl, or aryl-alkyl bis-selanyl benzene. A library of functionalized organo mono- and bis-selenides, including a potent biologically active molecule and a couple of analogues of bioactive selenides, were obtained in high yields by this protocol. The reactions are chemoselective and high yielding. The Cu-Al2O3 catalyst is recycled for seven runs without any appreciable loss of activity.