New nitrogen containing chiral diselenides: Synthesis and asymmetric addition reactions to olefins

A simple synthesis of two new nitrogen containing diselenides, 7 and 8, is described. These compounds were employed as starting materials to effect the asymmetric methoxyselenenylation, the hydroxyselenenylation as well as the cyclofunctionalization of olefins. Starting from 7 all these addition processes occurred with good facial selectivity. Poor results were however obtained with 8. One-pot selenenylation-elimination sequences using catalytic amounts of the diselenide 7 have also been investigated. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.