10.1016/j.tet.2007.02.082
The study focuses on the synthesis, stereochemical analysis, and functional transformations of 2-phenylselanyl-1,3-dienes. The researchers prepared these dienes using Wittig or Wittig-Horner-Emmons reactions, starting from α-phenylselanyl α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. They determined the ratio and configuration of the diene isomers using 77Se and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The dienes were then oxidized to selenoxides, which underwent [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements in THF, leading to the formation of allenyl alcohols, allenyl carbamates, and 1-haloalkyl allenes. This work explores the potential of selenoxides, selenimides, and dihalo-selenuranes in organic synthesis, providing a mild and selective method for preparing various functionalized allenes. The study also discusses the implications of these findings in the context of organic synthesis, including the potential use of these compounds in Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions and as precursors for other synthetic transformations.