Earlier we found that selanylstannanes RSeSnR`3 in the presence of SnCl 4 add to terminal acetylenes to form 1,2-bis(organylselanyl)ethenes [1] that regioselectively convert into organyl 1-alkyl selenides upon heating at 180oC [2].Further study of the reaction of selanylstannanes with acetylenes gave an unexpected result. It was found that treatment of the mixture resulting from the reaction of phenylacetylene and triethyl(methylselanyl)stannane (I) under the conditions described in [1] with 5% KOH rather than water provides methyl 1-phenylvinyl selenide (II). In the absence of stannic chloride, the reaction fails. RSeSnEt 3 + CH=CR`77776 RSeR`=CH 2 . 2) KOH/H 2 O 1) SnCl 4 ; I I I R = Me, R`= Ph.Evidence for the formation of vinyl selenide II comes from the 1 H NMR spectrum that contains characteristic signals of vicinal protons at d 5.77 and 26 ppm ( 2 J HH 0.58 Hz).Taking account of the reaction scheme in [1] we can explain the resulting data in terms of regioselective addition to phenylacetylene of the intermediate tetra(methylselanyl)stannane (MeSe) 4 Sn which was detected in the reaction mixture by 1 H NMR [1]. Alkaline hydrolysis of the adduct formed leads to geminal vinyl selenide II. Treatment of the reaction mixture with water gives rise to dimethyl diselenide whose reaction with the adduct provides 1,2-bis(methylselanyl)-1-phenylethene [1].Thus, the regioselectivity of the addition of selanylstannanes II to phenylacetylene is similar to that observed both in nucleophilic additions of arenetholates [3310] and selenolates [11] to terminal acetylenes, which occur mostly as anti-Markovnikov addition [3, 7310], or in palladium(0)-catalyzed addition to phenylacetylene of heteroatomic compounds PhSeXMe 3 (X = Si, Ge) and Me 3 GeSiMe 2 Ph [12]. However, unlike the adduct of trimethylsilyl phenyl selenide with phenylacetylene 12], that is resistant to alkali and converts into phenyl 1-phenylvinyl selenide under the action of Bu 4 NF only, our proposed stannylethenyl selenide MeSeCPh= CHSn(SeMe) 3 undergoes destannylation under the action of a dilute solution of KOH.
Methyl 1-phenylvinyl selenide (II).A mixture of 0.88 g of triethyl(methylselanyl)stannane and 1.30 g of tin tetrachloride was stirred for 30 min at 378oC under argon in 2 ml of chloroform, after which 0.40 g of phenylacetylene was added. The resulting mixture was stirred for 6 h at room temperature, diluted with 30 ml of chloroform, and treated with 200 ml of 5% KOH. The chloroform layer was separated, the aqueous-alkaline layer was treated with ether, and the combined were dried with CaCl 2 . The solvents were removed to leave 0.62 g of a mixture containing, according to 1 H NMR and GLC data, selenide II (26%), as well as starting selanylstannane I (9.5%, GLC data), chlorotriethylstannane (42%), and phenylacetylene (6%). Selenide II. 1 H NMR spectrum, d, ppm: 7.5737.66 m, 7.4537.35 m (5H, C 6 H 5 ), 5.75 d (1H, cis-CPh=CH, 2 J HH 0.58 Hz), 5.25 d (1H, transCPh=CH, 2 J HH 0.58 Hz), 2.12 s (3H, MeSe, 2 J SeH 17 Hz) {published data [13]: 7.2037.56 m (...