Zn in ionic liquid: an efficient reaction media for the synthesis of diorganyl chalcogenides and chalcogenoesters

A straightforward and efficient methodology is described to synthesize structurally diverse diorganyl selenides, sulfides, seleno- and thioesters by using commercially available Zn dust in ionic liquid. Excellent yields were achieved under neutral conditions at room temperature in a short time. The solvent/ionic liquid is reusable and exhibited higher performance as compared with organic solvents.