Ruthenium(III) chloride catalyzed efficient synthesis of unsymmetrical diorganyl selenides via cleavage of dibenzyl and diphenyl diselenides in the presence of zinc.

[equation: see text] An efficient one-pot route to unsymmetrical diorganyl selenides has been developed by ruthenium(III) chloride catalyzed reactions of dibenzyl or diphenyl diselenides with alkyl halides in the presence of zinc. Organic iodides, bromides, and activated chlorides underwent the reactions efficiently. Unreactive organic chlorides also underwent the same type of selenation with sodium bromide as the additive.