Reaction of dialkyl disulfides or diselenides with allenes is catalyzed by a rhodiumphosphine complex and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid giving (E)-2-alkylthio(seleno)-1,3-dienes and (E)-2-alkylthio(seleno)-2-alkenes. Unlike the reaction of alkynes, the reaction of allene is accompanied by hydride transfer.Keywords: (E)-2-(alkylthio)alka-1,3-diene; allene; diselenide; disulfide; hydride transfer; rhodium Reaction of organic disulfides or diselenides with unsaturated compounds catalyzed by a transition metal complex is becoming one of the important methodologies for the synthesis of organosulfur and organoselenium compounds.[1] The cis-addition of disulfides and diselenides to alkynes and alkenes with S-S and SeSe bond cleavage has been studied by others [2] and by us. [3] We have shown that a catalyst system of a rhodiumphosphine complex and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid is effective not only for the addition of aromatic disulfides to alkynes but also of aliphatic disulfides. [3] Notably, when allene is employed as the substrate, concomitant hydride transfer takes place giving (E)-2-alkylthio(seleno)-1,3-dienes and (E)-2-alkylthio(seleno)-2-alkenes. The results are contrasted to the fact that organic disulfides and diselenides undergo 1,2-addition to allenes under radical conditions.[4] Previous syntheses of (E)-2-(alkylthio)alka-1,3-dienes employed stepwise methods, [5,6] and the present reaction provides a convenient access to such organosulfur and organoselenium compounds.When undeaca-1,2-diene 1a was treated with dibutyl disulfide 2a (0.5 equiv.) in the presence of RhH(PPh 3 ) 4 (3 mol %), tris(p-tolyl)phosphine (12 mol %), and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (3 mol %) in refluxing acetone for 2 h, (E)-2-(butylthio)undeca-1,3-diene (E)-3a and (E)-2-butylthio-2-undecene (E)-4a were obtained in 47% and 47% yields, respectively (Table 1, entry 1).The stereochemistry of (E)-3a was determined by the 1 H-NMR coupling constant (J 15.6 Hz) and that of (E)-4a by the NOE between 1-and 4-protons. Both the rhodium complex and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid are essential, and no reaction occurs in the absence of either of the reagents. Addition of tris(p-tolyl)phosphine increases the yields (vide infra). Since allene 1a is used for the acceptor of thiol giving (E)-4a, the yield of (E)-3a does not exceed 50%. The mass balance, however, is almost quantitative. The reaction can be applied to various combinations of monosubstituted allenes and aliphatic disulfides (Table 1). A 1,3-diene derived from diphenyl disulfide is relatively unstable, and decomposes during silica gel chromatography (entry 8). A cystine derivative (R,R)-2b gives the adducts (R,E)-3b and (R,E)-4b without racemization (Scheme 1): Reaction of (R,R)-2b containing 3% of meso-2b gives (R,E)-3b and (R,E)-4b in more the 97% ee.Alkyl diselenides react similarly. When 1a was treated with dioctyl diselenide 5a (0.5 equiv.) in the presence of RhH(PPh 3 ) 4 (5 mol %), tris(p-chlorophenyl)phosphine (15 mol %), and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (5 mol %) in refl...