Iron-Catalyzed Chemoselective Transfer Hydrogenation of α,ß-Unsaturated Ketones Using H2O as a Surrogate of Hydrogen.

Sustainable and highly economical iron-catalyzed chemoselective reduction of C═C of α,ß-unsaturated ketones has been established under mild reaction protocols. Water is used as a green and abundant surrogate of hydrogen and is scarcely used in organic synthetic transformations as a source of hydrogen. The developed protocol offers a broad spectrum for chemoselective transfer hydrogenation of α,ß-unsaturated ketones. Moreover, the method was found to be highly effective for aryl and ferrocenyl α,ß-unsaturated ketones consisting of one or two double bonds and with multiple functionalities. Moreover, the present method avoids prolonged reaction time, provides a wide range of substrates with excellent yield, and circumvents the tedious chromatographic workup.

Ru-Catalyzed and Selenium-Directed Selective Formation of ortho- and Dialkenylated Selanes, Mixed Organoselenoethers, and Isoselenochromenes.

Herein, the Ru-catalyzed chemo- and regioselective formation of four novel organoselenium compounds is established. Mono- and dialkenylated selanes were formed by the Se-directed o-C-H activation of benzyl(phenyl)selanes with alkynes. Unprecedented debenzylative/dearylative hydroselenations of alkynes were performed by slightly varying the amount of catalyst and temperature. Catalyst-driven direct formation of novel isoselenochromenes is also recorded. Altogether, 45 new organoseleno compounds were synthesized in good amounts with varieties of alkynes and selanes. This is the first report of its kind to deal with the synthesis of novel, challenging, and unusual organoseleno compounds in one reaction.