Selenium compounds

For example, selenomethionine and selenocysteine are selenium-containing amino acids present in the human body.

[2] The reduction potential and pKa (5.47) of selenocysteine are lower than those of cysteine, making some proteins have antioxidant activity.

[3] Selenium compounds have important applications in semiconductors, glass and ceramic industries, medicine, metallurgy and other fields.

[5] Analogous to the behavior of other chalcogens, selenium forms hydrogen selenide, H2Se.

The selenide dianion Se2− forms a variety of compounds, including the minerals from which selenium is obtained commercially.

[14] Selenium reacts with cyanides to yield selenocyanates:[5] Selenium, especially in the II oxidation state, forms stable bonds to carbon, which are structurally analogous to the corresponding organosulfur compounds.

Representatives of selenides, diselenides, and selenols include respectively selenomethionine, diphenyldiselenide, and benzeneselenol.

Consistent with trends indicated by the double bond rule, selenoketones, R(C=Se)R, and selenaldehydes, R(C=Se)H, are rarely observed.