Unusual reactivity of selenoboranes towards epoxides: New selective routes to beta- hydroxyselenides and allylalcohols

Abstract

Selenoboranes react with terminal, α, β-di- and trisubstituted epoxides to produce β-hydroxyselenides (or olefins) in the two first cases and allyl alcohols in the last one. A very high stereodescrimination has been observed for α, β-bisubstituted epoxides: the cis epoxide being much more reactive.