Studies on the regio- and stereoselectivity of halohydroxylation of 1,2-allenyl sulfides or selenides.

It was observed that the halohydroxylation of 1,2-allenyl sulfides or selenides with Br2 (CuBr2 or NBS) or I2 and water demonstrated a fairly good regioselectivity (i.e., the C=C bond that is remote from the S or Se atom was halohydroxylated with the halogen atom connecting to the middle carbon atom and the hydroxyl group connecting to the non-S terminal carbon or Se-substituted terminal carbon atom of the allene moiety), leading to the synthesis of synthetically important 3-organosulfur or seleno-2-haloallylic alcohols. The stereoselectivity depends on the nature of X+ and S or Se, showing a Z-selectivity with the matched Lewis acid-base pair.