A Novel Methodology for the Synthesis of 2-Pyridyl Aryl Selenoxides: X-ray Crystal Structure of 2-Pyridyl (4-methyl phenyl) Selenoxide

A variety of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 2-pyridyl aryl selenoxides have been synthesized via oxidation of corresponding 2-pyridyl aryl selenides with mild oxidizing agent, N-chlorosuccinimide in different solvents, viz., dichloromethane and methanol at room temperature. These compounds were characterized analytically and through various spectroscopic techniques, viz., nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1, C-13, Se-77), infrared, mass spectrometry, and X-ray spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray study of 2-pyridyl (4-methylphenyl) selenoxide was carried out to understand the structural details of the newly synthesized selenoxide. Diffraction quality crystals of the titled compound were obtained by recrystallization of the selenoxide in hexane-dichloromethane (1: 1. v/v) solvent mixture with slow evaporation at ambient temperature which reveals the triclinic structure with P-1 space group.