Isoselenocyanates derived from amino acid esters: an expedient synthesis and application to the assembly of selenoureidopeptidomimetics, unsymmetrical selenoureas and selenohydantoins.

An important class of organoselenium compounds-α-isoselenocyanato esters 4 has been prepared by a reaction of α-isocyano esters with elemental selenium powder. The reaction issimple, rapid and all the isoselenocyanates have been isolated as stable ones after chromatographic purification. These hitherto unreported classes of molecules would be useful building blocks for the preparation of variety of selenium containing peptidomimetics. In this study, the utility of the title molecules in the preparation of selenoureidopeptidomimetics 6, unsymmetrical selenoureas 8 and selenohydantoins 10 is demonstrated.