Copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylselenolation of aryl and alkyl halides: the silver effect in transmetalation.

A catalytic trifluoromethylselenolation of aryl and alkyl halides by a Cu(I) catalyst has been developed. A key intermediate, [(phen)Cu(SeCF3)]2 (5) was successfully isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The important role of silver in the transmetalation process during the catalytic cycle was elucidated. A wide range of trifluoromethylselanes have been prepared from readily available starting materials from a method that tolerates various important functional groups.