Selenide

A selenide is a chemical compound containing a

Inorganic selenides

The parent inorganic selenide is hydrogen selenide (H₂Se). It is a colorless, malodorous, toxic gas. It dissolves in aqueous solution, to give the hydrogenselenide or biselenide ion HSe⁻. At higher pH, selenide forms. Solutions of hydrogen selenide and selenide are oxidized by air to give elemental selenium:

2 SeH⁻ + O₂ → 2 Se + 2 OH⁻

Most elements form selenides. They sometimes have salt-like properties, e.g. sodium selenide, but most exhibit covalent bonding, e.g. molybdenum diselenide. Their properties are diverse, mirroring the diverse properties of the corresponding sulfides.

As indicated by the fact that only a few thousand tons of selenium are produced annually, the subset of selenium compounds called selenides find few applications. Commercially significant is

Selenides are common in organic chemistry. They have two Se-C bonds, akin to organic sulfides. Examples include dimethyl selenide and selenomethionine. Such compounds have few applications.

Examples

• Gallium(II) selenide
• Indium(III) selenide
• Lead selenide
• Copper selenide

See also

• Sulfoselenide

References