Recent Progress in Synthetic and Biological Application of Diorganyl Diselenides

Abstract

Diorganyl diselenides have emerged as privileged structures because they are easy to prepare, have distinct reactivity, and have broad biological activity. They have also been used in the synthesis of natural products as an electrophile in the organoselenylation of aromatic systems and peptides, reductions of alkenes, and nucleophilic substitution. This review summarizes the advancements in methods for the transformations promoted by diorganyl diselenides in the main functions of organic chemistry. Parallel, it will also describe the main findings on pharmacology and toxicology of diorganyl diselenides, emphasizing anti‐inflammatory, hypoglycemic, chemotherapeutic, and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, an examination detailing the reactivity and biological characteristics of diorganyl diselenides provides valuable insights for academic researchers and industrial professionals.