Abstract The aromatic nucleophilic substitution (SN Ar) reactions of N-(2-bromo-3- nitrobenzyl) aniline (18), N-(2-bromo-3-nitrobenzyl)-4-methylaniline (19) and N-(2-bromo-3- nitrobenzyl)-4-nitroaniline (20) with [nBuSeNa] afford N-[2-(butylselanyl)-3-nitrobenzyl] aniline (21), N-[2-(butylselanyl)-3-nitrobenzyl]-4-methylaniline (22) and N-[2-(butylselanyl)-3- nitrobenzyl]-4-nitroaniline (23), respectively. The bromination of 21 results in the formation ...