Selenium is a chemical element; it has symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, and also has similarities to arsenic. It seldom occurs in its elemental state or as pure ore compounds in Earth's crust. Selenium was discovered in 1817 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who noted the similarity of the new element to the previously discovered tellurium.
A selenide is a chemical compound containing a selenium with oxidation number of −2. Similar to sulfide, selenides occur both as inorganic compounds and as organic derivatives, which are called organoselenium compound.
Zinc selenide is the inorganic compound with the formula ZnSe. It is a lemon-yellow solid although most samples have a duller color due to the effects of oxidation. It is an intrinsic semiconductor with a band gap of about 2.70 eV at 25 °C (77 °F). ZnSe occurs as the rare mineral stilleite, named after Hans Stille.
Hydrogen selenide is an inorganic compound with the formula H2Se. This hydrogen chalcogenide is the simplest and most commonly encountered hydride of selenium. H2Se is a colorless, flammable gas under standard conditions. It is the most toxic selenium compound with an exposure limit of 0.05 ppm over an 8-hour period. Even at extremely low concentrations, this compound has a very irritating smell resembling that of decayed horseradish or 'leaking gas', but smells of rotten eggs at higher concentrations.
Organoselenium chemistry is the science exploring the properties and reactivity of organoselenium compounds, chemical compounds containing carbon-to-selenium chemical bonds. Selenium belongs with oxygen and sulfur to the group 16 elements or chalcogens, and similarities in chemistry are to be expected. Organoselenium compounds are found at trace levels in ambient waters, soils and sediments.
Chromyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula CrO2Cl2. It is a reddish brown compound that is a volatile liquid at room temperature, which is unusual for transition metal compounds.
Selenium compounds are compounds containing the element selenium (Se). Among these compounds, selenium has various oxidation states, the most common ones being −2, +4, and +6. Selenium compounds exist in nature in the form of various minerals, such as clausthalite, guanajuatite, tiemannite, crookesite etc., and can also coexist with sulfide minerals such as pyrite and chalcopyrite. For many mammals, selenium compounds are essential. For example, selenomethionine and selenocysteine are selenium-containing amino acids present in the human body. Selenomethionine participates in the synthesis of selenoproteins. The reduction potential and pKa (5.47) of selenocysteine are lower than those of cysteine, making some proteins have antioxidant activity. Selenium compounds have important applications in semiconductors, glass and ceramic industries, medicine, metallurgy and other fields.
Potassium bisulfite (or potassium hydrogen sulfite) is a chemical mixture with the approximate chemical formula KHSO3. Potassium bisulfite in fact is not a real compound, but a mixture of salts that dissolve in water to give solutions composed of potassium ions and bisulfite ions. It is a white solid with an odor of sulfur dioxide. Attempts to crystallize potassium bisulfite yield potassium metabisulfite, K2S2O5.
Carbon diselenide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CSe2. It is a yellow-orange oily liquid with pungent odor. It is the selenium analogue of carbon disulfide and carbon dioxide. This light-sensitive compound is insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents.
Sodium selenide is an inorganic compound of sodium and selenium with the chemical formula Na2Se.
Selenium monochloride or diselenium dichloride is an inorganic compound with the formula Se2Cl2. Although a common name for the compound is selenium monochloride, reflecting its empirical formula, IUPAC does not recommend that name, instead preferring the more descriptive diselenium dichloride.
Chromium(II) selenide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CrSe. It crystalizes in a hexagonal structure with space group P63/mmc. It is one of many related Chromium-Selenium phases, including Cr7Se8, Cr3Se4, Cr0.68Se, Cr2Se3, and Cr5Se8. The compound has been described as an antiferromagnet, but its inverse magnetic susceptibility does not match the behavior expected for an antiferromagnet according to the Curie–Weiss law. One suggestion was that the Néel temperature is at 320 K, as the temperature where the compound has maximum specific heat. When synthesized as single atomic layer, CrSe is ferromagnetic, with a Curie Temperature of around 280 K.
Potassium selenocyanate is the inorganic compound with the formula KSeCN. It is a hygroscopic white solid that is soluble in water, decomposing in air to red selenium and potassium cyanide. The compound has been characterized by X-ray crystallography, which confirms that it is a salt. The C-N and C-Se distances are 112 and 183 pm, respectively consistent with triple and single bonds.
Tellurium compounds are compounds containing the element tellurium (Te). Tellurium belongs to the chalcogen family of elements on the periodic table, which also includes oxygen, sulfur, selenium and polonium: Tellurium and selenium compounds are similar. Tellurium exhibits the oxidation states −2, +2, +4 and +6, with +4 being most common.
Niobium diselenide or niobium(IV) selenide is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide with formula NbSe2. Niobium diselenide is a lubricant, and a superconductor at temperatures below 7.2 K that exhibit a charge density wave (CDW). NbSe2 crystallizes in several related forms, and can be mechanically exfoliated into monatomic layers, similar to other transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. Monolayer NbSe2 exhibits very different properties from the bulk material, such as of Ising superconductivity, quantum metallic state, and strong enhancement of the CDW.
Sodium hydroselenide is a chemical compound, an inorganic salt; each unit consists of one sodium, one selenium, and one hydrogen atom.
In chemistry, a selenosulfide refers to distinct classes of inorganic and organic compounds containing sulfur and selenium. The organic derivatives contain Se-S bonds, whereas the inorganic derivatives are more variable.
Barium selenide is an inorganic compound, with the chemical formula of BaSe. It is a white solid although typically samples are colored owing to the effects of air oxidation.
Rubidium selenide is an inorganic compound composed of selenium and rubidium. It is a selenide with a chemical formula of Rb2Se. Rubidium selenide is used together with caesium selenide in photovoltaic cells.
