Selenium‐Containing Heterocycles from Isoselenocyanates: Synthesis of 1,2,3‐Selenadiazole Derivatives

The reaction of aroyl chlorides 1 with KSeCN and ethyl diazoacetate ( 6 ) in acetone at room temperature yields ethyl 2‐aroyl‐5‐(aroylimino)‐2,5‐dihydro‐1,2,3‐selenadiazole‐4‐carboxylates 7 (Scheme 3). A reaction mechanism via the initial formation of the corresponding aroyl isoselenocyanates 2 followed by a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of the diazo compound with the C=Se bond to give ethyl 5‐(aroylimino)‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,2,3‐selenadiazole‐4‐carboxylates of type D is proposed. Acylation of the latter at N(2) leads to the final products 7 . Deacetylation of 7 to give ethyl 5‐(aroylimino)‐1,2,3‐selenadiazole‐4‐carboxylates 10 is achieved by treatment of 7 with morpholine (Scheme 5). The intermediate isoselenocyanates 2 partially oligomerize to give two different oligomers. The symmetrical one reacts with morpholine to yield selenourea derivatives 12 (Scheme 6).