A convenient procedure has been developed for the synthesis of styrenyl selenocyanates and benzoselenophenes from readily available styrenyl bromides by reaction with potassium selenocyanate in the presence of iodine under specified conditions. A series of both compounds have been obtained by this procedure. The synthesis of styrenyl selenocyanates has not been previously reported, and thus this method is of much significance.

Transition metal-catalyzed 1,2-difunctionalization reactions of alkynes have emerged as a powerful tool to forge carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds for the rapid synthesis of polyfunctionalized molecular scaffolds. In this regard, our group has persistently been developing transition metal-mediated 1,2-aminofunctionalization reactions of alkynes through a rationally designed pyridino-alkyne core by utilizing the carbophilic activation strategy. In this account, we present an array of such 1,2-aminofunctionalization reactions which have been successfully executed on this core to afford important polycyclic frameworks such as functionalized quinalizinones, pyridinium oxazole dyads (PODs), N-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), N-doped spiro-PAHs. Additionally, the synthesis of phosphine ligated gold complexes bearing pyrido-isoquinoline scaffold from the pyridino-alkynes will be discussed briefly.