Microwave-assisted Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl alkyl selenides with arylboronic acids

A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling methodology has been developed by utilizing aryl alkyl selenides and organoboranes. In this deseleniative process, the organoselenium moiety acts as a pseudohalide, facilitating the cleavage of the C-Se bond through the synergistic action of palladium(0) and stoichiometric copper(i) thiophene-2-carboxylate. When conducted under microwave irradiation, the reaction methodology demonstrates broad substrate compatibility, scalability to gram-scale synthesis, and moderate to good yields. By employing commercially available boronic acids, this approach enhances practicality and potential applications in organic synthesis.