Cupric selenide

Cupric selenide, CuSe.—Hydrogen selenide precipitates cupric selenide from solutions of cupric salts, and it is also produced by the action of selenium-vapour on copper.9 It is a greenish-black substance, of density 6-66. 

The completion of the synthesis of key intermediate 2 requires only a straightforward sequence of functional group manipulations. In the presence of acetone, cupric sulfate, and camphorsulfonic acid (CSA), the lactol and secondary hydroxyl groups in 10 are simultaneously protected as an acetonide (see intermediate 9). The overall yield of 9 is 55 % from 13. Cleavage of the benzyl ether in 9 with lithium metal in liquid ammonia furnishes a diol (98% yield) which is subsequently converted to selenide 20 according to Grie-co s procedure22 (see Scheme 6a). Oxidation of the selenium atom... 

Oxidation of 2-Butene with Oxygen, Catalyzed by Bis (1-methyl-2-acetoxypropyl) selenide. The oxidation of the selenide by oxygen proceeded only when cupric chloride was added to the system. Since cupric chloride alone did not oxidize the selenide, we believe that the oxidation proceeds through interaction of oxygen with an intermediate complex formed by the selenide with the copper halide. 

CuSe (c). Favre s2 data on the reaction of aqueous cupric acetate with gaseous hydrogen selenide yield, for CuSe (c), Q/=19. 

Several new syntheses of oxirans by non-oxidative methods have been described in the year under review. A new regiospecific and stereoselective route to jS-hydroxy-selenides (31) by the action of Grignard reagents on a-selenophenyl aldehydes and ketones is useful since the products can be converted into oxirans by methods described earlier. " (Scheme 7). The reactions of cupric methoxides with ketones and keto alcohols provides a new method for the synthesis of a-keto epoxides (Scheme 8). Epoxyphosphonates have synthetic potential, and are related to the... 

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