Isoselenocyanates: a powerful tool for the synthesis of selenium-containing heterocycles

Selenium-containing heterocyclic compounds have been well recognized, not only because of their remarkable reactivities and chemical properties, but also because of their diverse pharmaceutical applications. In this context, isoselenocyanates have been emerged as a powerful tool for the synthesis of selenium-containing heterocycles, since they are easy to prepare and store and are safe to handle. In this review the recent advances in the development of synthesis methods for selenium-containing heterocycles from isoselenocyanates are presented and discussed.