Preparation of highly functionalized arylmagnesium reagents by the addition of magnesium phenylselenide to arynes

The described polyfunctional arylmagnesium reagents, resulting from the highly regioselective addition of magnesium phenylselenide to functionalized arynes, can be trapped by a range of electrophiles, yielding polyfunctional selenoethers in 45–85% yields. Furthermore, these Grignard reagents can be used in Negishi cross-coupling reactions with iodoarenes after transmetalation to the corresponding arylzinc compounds, furnishing functionalized biaryl products in 55–73% yields.