Toward the Synthesis of Novel Benzisoselenazolones

Ebselen is a synthetic selenium-containing organic compound that has been studied as a potential treatment for a number of conditions. Ebselen is an antioxidant, capable of scavenging peroxide and other reactive oxygen species. This research is focused on the preparation of novel ebselen derivatives towards biologically active compounds with tunable redox properties and pharmacokinetics. Currently we are exploring different synthetic routes towards ebselen, which are compatible with desired modifications to the ebselen scaffold including replacement of the phenyl group with different aryl or heteroaryl moieties, as well as functional group substitution on the benzisoselenazolone ring. The pathways investigated include a recently published transition metal-mediated method as well as a novel approach using isocyanates.