Phenyl tributylstannyl selenide as a promising reagent for introducion of the phenylseleno group

A new synthetic method of organoselenium compounds has been developed. When phenyl tributylstannyl selenide (PhSeSnBu3) was allowed to react with acyl or aroyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of a palladium complex such as Pd(PPh3)(4), Se-phenyl selenol esters were obtained in moderate to good yields. Similarly, the palladium complex catalyzed the reaction of PhSeSnBu3 with alpha-halo carbonyl compounds to afford the corresponding alpha-phenyseleno carbonyl compounds in moderate yields.