Silver-catalyzed direct selenylation of terminal alkynes through CH bond functionalization

Abstract We described herein the use of a silver catalyst in the selenylation of terminal alkynes by direct C H functionalization. These reactions were performed under mild conditions, reacting a range of terminal alkynes with different diorganyl diselenides using AgNO 3 (10 mol-%) as catalyst in CH 2 Cl 2 at 25 °C under air atmosphere. This is an efficient and general cross-coupling reaction and was performed with alkynes and diorganyl diselenides bearing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups affording the corresponding selanylalkynes in good to excellent yields.