One-pot copper-catalyzed tandem addition–cyclization of 2-iodoanilines with isoselenocyanates for the practical preparation of 2-aminobenzoselenazoles

A convenient and successful one-pot preparation of the 2-aminobenzoselenazoles via the phenylselenoureas has been accomplished by the copper-catalyzed ligand-free reaction of the 2-iodoanilines and isoselenocyanates; the intermediate, selenoureas, were isolated, and quantitatively transformed into the selenazaoles.