Recent developments in sulfur- and selenium-catalyzed oxidative and isohypsic functionalization reactions of alkenes

This digest manuscript delineates recent developments in the context of sulfur- and selenium-catalyzed oxidative and isohypsic functionalization reactions of simple alkenes. The discussion also includes considerations of mechanistic modes of reactant and/or reagent activation exhibited by sulfur and selenium in the context of various transformations, such as electrophilic aminations, sulfenylations, selenenylations, oxygen-transfer reactions, and radical reactions. Furthermore, current applications of thiocatalytic methods in the realm of complex natural product synthesis are discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.