Selenide facts for kids
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A selenide is a special type of ion. Think of an ion as an atom or group of atoms that has an electric charge. The chemical formula for a selenide ion is Se2–. This means it's a selenium atom that has gained two extra electrons, giving it a negative charge.
Selenides are a lot like sulfides. Sulfides are compounds that contain the sulfide ion (S2–), which is sulfur with a negative charge. Both selenium and sulfur are in the same group on the periodic table, which is why their ions behave in similar ways.
Contents
What Are Selenides?
Selenides are chemical compounds that contain the selenide ion. They are known for being good at a process called "reducing." This means they can give away electrons to other chemicals. When they are pure, selenides are strong reducing agents. They are even stronger at reducing than sulfides.
Where Do We Find Selenides?
Selenides are important because they are the main source of the element selenium. Selenium is a useful element found in many things, from electronics to some vitamins. Selenides are often found naturally mixed with sulfides in rocks and minerals called ores. These ores are then processed to get the selenium out.
How Stable Are Selenides?
The selenide ion itself isn't very stable on its own, unless it's in a very basic (or alkaline) environment. Think of basic as the opposite of acidic. In most other conditions, the selenide ion quickly changes into other forms.
For example, it often turns into hydroselenide, which has the chemical formula HSe-. This happens when the selenide ion picks up a hydrogen atom. If the conditions become acidic, like when you add an acid, then a gas called hydrogen selenide (H2Se) is formed. This gas can be quite toxic.
Related Compounds
- Selenite: This is another type of selenium compound, but it contains oxygen and has a different charge.
- Selenate: Similar to selenite, selenates also contain oxygen but have even more oxygen atoms.
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