Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of selenium-containing atropisomers via C-Se bond formations

Atropisomers are not only prevalent in biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals, but they have also garnered increasing attention for their effectiveness as ligands and catalysts in the field of catalytic asymmetric synthesis. Asymmetric catalysis serves as a key strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of atropisomers, and significant progress has been made in recent years. However, selenium-containing atropisomers have long remained underexplored as synthetic targets, and only in recent years have they begun to attract increasing attention from the community. Recently, several synthetic approaches for constructing selenium-containing atropisomers have been reported, such as C-H selenylation of arenes, selenosulfonylation of vinylidene o-quinone methides (VQM), and hydroselenation of alkynes. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review that systematically summarizes these advances is currently lacking. This review aims to provide an overview of recent developments in the catalytic enantioselective synthesis of selenium-containing atropisomers via C-Se bond formation. We hope this review will serve as a valuable reference for researchers interested in further exploring this area.