Diselenophosphinates of lupinine or anabasine via a new three-component reaction of secondary phosphines, elemental selenium, and amines

Secondary phosphines, elemental selenium, and the natural alkaloids, lupinine and anabasine, interact in a three-component-type reaction under mild conditions (70 °C, 1–1.5 h, EtOH) without the formation of any by-products to give diselenophosphinates of the above-mentioned alkaloids (in almost quantitative yields) with the retention of their intrinsic optical activity. Thus, the developed synthesis represents an atom-economic route to new selenophosphorus derivatives of alkaloids.