Lithium diselenide in aprotic medium - a convenient reagent for synthesis of organic diselenides

The reduction of selenium with lithium in THF in the presence of diphenylacetylene as a catalyst afforded lithium diselenide, which reacted with electrophiles giving alkyl or aryl diselenides 1 - 3 and selenides 4, as by-products. The useful method for preparation of diselenides based on this reaction was elaborated.