Chemical structure and electrochemical reactivity of organic arylselenides

Factors of chemical structure of arylselenides are considered in relation with their reactivity in the electrooxidation processes following stepwise or dissociative electron transfer (ET) mechanism. The reactivity of electrogenerated cation radicals (CRs) is determined by electronic and stereoelectronic effects affecting the charge distribution. Compensation of the charge on Se and lowering of the energy of the CRs favour the radical properties as compared to the ionic properties of these species. © 1998 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N. V. Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Science Publishers imprint