Organoselenium compounds carbanions

Organoselenium compounds are easily attacked by a nucleophile. Reaction with organolithium reagents allows a convenient synthesis of carbanionic species. C. Paulmier and S. Ponthieux describe this chemistry in Chap. 5. 

For reviews of sulfur-containing carbanions, see Oae, S. Uchida, Y. in Patai Rappoport Stirling The Chemistry ofSulphones and Sulphoxides, Wiley NY, 1988, p. 583 Wolfe, S. in Bemardi Csizmadia Mangini Organic Sulfur Chemistry Elsevier, NY, 1985, p. 133 Block, E. Reactions ofOrganosulfur Compounds Academic Press NY, 1978, p. 42 Durst, T. Viau, R. Intra-Sci. Chem. Rep., 1973, 7 (3), 63. For a review of selenium-stabilized carbanions, see Reich, H.J. in Liotta Organoselenium Chemistry Wiley NY, 1987, p. 243. For support for this theory, see Wolfe, S. LaJohn, L.A. Bemardi, F Mangini, A. Tonachini, G. Tetrahedron Lett., 1983, 24, 3789 Wolfe, S. Stolow, A. LaJohn, L.A. Tetrahedron Lett., 1983, 24, 4071. 

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