Isolation of Crystalline Potassium Alkanecarboselenoates

Abstract

A series of potassium alkanecarboselenoates (2) were isolated as crystals from the reaction of the corresponding bis(acyl) selenides with potassium methanolate. The salts 2 readily react with alkyl iodides at 0°C to afford the corresponding alkyl alkanecarboselenoates (3) in quantitative yields.