Transition Metal- and Oxidant-Free Base-Mediated Selenation of Bicyclic Arenes at Room Temperature

Bicyclic arenyl selenides are of much importance because of their pharmaceutical applications. A simple method for their synthesis has been developed by a reaction of 2-naphthol and styrenyl selenocyanate/diaryl diselenide in the presence of a base at room temperature. The selenation occurs exclusively at the 1-position of 2-naphthol unit. The reactions are relatively fast (2-4 h) and high yielding. A library of substituted naphthyl styrenyl and naphthyl aryl selenides are obtained by this procedure.