Ruthenium(III) chloride catalyzed efficient synthesis of unsymmetrical dioganyl selenides via cleavage of dibenzyl and diphenyl diselenides in the presence of zinc

An efficient one-pot route to unsymmetrical diorganyl selenides is developed by ruthenium(III) chloride catalyzed reactions of dibenzyl or diphenyl diselenodes with alkyl halides in the presence of zinc. Organic iodides, bromides, and activated chlorides underwent the reactions efficiently.