Selenium-catalyzed organic transformations

Selenium-catalyzed organic transformations have recently emerged as a promising frontier in modern organic synthesis. The unique combination of high polarizability, redox tunability, and σ-hole-driven Lewis acidity enables selenium to act as powerful non-covalent activators in both covalent and non-covalent catalytic cycles. These features allow organoselenium catalysts to stabilize transition states, facilitate bond activation, and deliver selectivity unattainable with traditional organocatalysts. Despite remarkable advances, the field remains in its infancy, hindered by mechanistic ambiguities, limited enantioselective control, and scalability challenges. This article summarizes recent progress in selenium-based organocatalysis with a special emphasis on chalcogen bonding, applications in synthesis, and evaluates the current limitations that impede large scale industrial adaptation by discussing existing challenges with perspectives for future industrial translation.