Additive Controlled Switchable Mono-vs. Di-Selenylation of Primary Arylamides via Ru(II) Catalyzed C-H activation

Abstract

Herein, we disclose an additive-controlled ruthenium(II)-catalyzed strategy for the selective mono- and di-selenylation of arylamides employing native primary amides as weakly coordinating directing groups. Notably, this remarkable selectivity switch is achieved solely by modulating the nature of the additive, enabling controlled access to either mono- or di-selenylated products under otherwise similar reaction conditions. The transformation exhibits a broad substrate scope and good tolerance toward diverse functional groups.