Abstract
A simple, rapid and efficient synthesis of 4,4′-dimethylamino-diphenyl diselenide 1 and 4,4′-dinitrodiphenyl diselenide 2 is described. The method consists of the reductive cleavage of the Se-CN linkage in the corresponding aryl selenocyanates by sodium borohydride followed by air oxidation of the resulting seleno-lates. The diselenides 1 and 2 are readily obtained in a state of high purity, in 89 and 80% yield, respectively.