Recent progress in the organoselenium-catalyzed difunctionalization of alkenes

Abstract

Selenium-based catalysts have recently been utilized to facilitate a variety of new organic transformations, owing to their intrinsic advantages, including low cost, low toxicity, stability in both air and water, and strong compatibility with diverse functional groups. The difunctionalization of alkenes—the process of incorporating two functional groups onto a carbon–carbon double bond—has garnered particular interest within the chemical community owing to its significant applications in organic synthesis. Recently, organoselenium-catalyzed difunctionalization of alkenes has emerged as an ideal and powerful route to obtain high-value vicinal difunctionalized molecules. This review emphasizes recent advancements in this rapidly evolving field, focusing on the scope, limitations, and mechanisms of various reactions.