A facile method for the synthesis of thiocarbamates: palladium-catalyzed reaction of disulfide, amine, and carbon monoxide.

[reaction: see text] A new method for the synthesis of thiocarbamates has been developed. When dialkyl or diaryl disulfides were allowed to react with secondary amines and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of a palladium complex, the thiocarbamates were obtained in moderate to good yields. In contrast to that of secondary amines, in the reaction of a primary amine, no formation of thiocarbamate was confirmed, but urea was formed in good yield.

Phenyl tributylstannyl selenide as a promising reagent for introduction [corrected] of the phenylseleno group.

A new synthetic method of organoselenium compounds has been developed. When phenyl tributylstannyl selenide (PhSeSnBu(3)) was allowed to react with acyl or aroyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of a palladium complex such as Pd(PPh(3))(4), Se-phenyl selenol esters were obtained in moderate to good yields. Similarly, the palladium complex catalyzed the reaction of PhSeSnBu(3) with alpha-halo carbonyl compounds to afford the corresponding alpha-phenyseleno carbonyl compounds in moderate yields.