Palladium-catalyzed activation of E-E and C-E bonds in diaryl dichalcogenides (E = S,Se) under microwave irradiation conditions

The first example of palladium-catalyzed stereoselective addition of diphenyl disulfide and diphenyl diselenide to the triple bond of terminal alkynes under microwave irradiation conditions is described. It was found that both the element—element (E-E) and carbon—element bonds can be activated in the catalytic system studied. The products of both reactions were isolated in quantitative yields. According to quantum-chemical calculations, the reaction mechanism involves the oxidative addition of the E-E bond to Pd⁰. Depending on the microwave power and reaction conditions, the next stage is either the reaction with alkyne or the carbon—element bond activation. The product of the oxidative addition of Ph₂Se₂ to Pd⁰, namely, dinuclear complex Pd₂(SePh)₄(PPh_{3 2}], was detected by ³¹P{¹H}NMR spectroscopy directly in the Ph₂Se₂/PPh₃ melt formed under microwave irradiation conditions.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 569–580, March, 2005.