PHOTODECOMPOSITION OF SELENOSULFONATES AND THEIR FACILE PHOTOADDITION TO ALKENES1

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)93676-1

Phenyl areneselenosulfonates (1) are very photosensitive and easily undergo photodecomposition via initial homolysis of the Se-S bond.In the presence alkenes this facile photodissociation of 1 can be used to initiate a free radical chain reaction (eq 6) that leads to addition of 1 to the alkene to form β-phenylselenosulfones (2).The photoaddition requires much shorter reaction times than the non-photolytic addition of 1 to alkenes described recently.