Electrochemical Synthesis of 2-Selenylnaphthalenes with Alkynyl Alkyl Alcohols and Diselenides.

Herein, the facile synthesis of 2-selenylnaphthalene derivatives under mild conditions is accessible via electrocatalytic sequential selenylation/cyclization/aromatization of readily available starting material, which is successfully demonstrated. The potential synthetic utility of this method is demonstrated by its wide substrate scope, excellent functional group compatibility, high efficiency, metal-free, chemical-oxidant-free, easy operation, and easy scalability. The detailed mechanistic experiments indicate that this strategy possibly proceeds via a radical pathway.