Application of organic selenides and tellurides in organic synthesis

This paper describes the progress on the synthesis of organic selenides and tellurides and their application in organic synthesis. Low dent selenium and telluronium compounds having high reducing selectivity can be used to form carbon‐hydrogen bonds an special reducing reagents. Telluronium ylides can react with aldehydes and ketones by Wittig‐type condensation to produce (E)‐configuration alkenes stereoselectively. α‐Phenylselanyl arsonium ylides were prepared by transylidation reaction of arsonium ylides with phenylselanyl halides which can undergo Wittig‐type reactions with carbonyl compounds to give ( Z )‐α‐selanyl‐α,β‐unsaturated compounds with high stereoselectivity. Zirconium, tin, boron, halogen, metal or hetero‐atom were introduced in organoselenium and telluronium compounds an new difunctional group reagents. Under transition metal catalysis, the corresponding cross coupling reactions provide new methods of formation of carbon‐carbon double bonds, which were used in the stereoselective synthesis of the alkenes.