Highly Selective Thioselenation of Vinylcyclopropanes with a (PhS)(2)-(PhSe)(2) Binary System and Its Application to...

A novel, highly selective method for introducing organic sulfur, selenium, and tellurium functions into vinylic cyclopropanes has been developed on the basis of the relative reactivities of organic dichalcogenides and chalcogen-centered radicals. Upon irradiation with the light of wavelength over 300 nm, the reaction of vinylcyclopropanes with diphenyl disulfide and diphenyl diselenide proceeds smoothly to provide the corresponding gamma-(selenoethyl)allylic sulfides regioselectively in good yields. Similarly, vinylcyclopropanes undergo regioselective thiotelluration by use of a novel (PhS)(2)-(PhTe)(2) binary system, affording the corresponding ring-opened thiotelluration product in good yields. Furthermore, the scope and limitations of this (PhS)(2)-(PhTe)(2) binary system are discussed.