Selenium information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
 Selenium exhibits both photovoltaic action, where light is converted directly into electricity, and photoconductive action, where the electrical resistance decreases with increased illumination. These properties make selenium useful in the production of photocells and exposure meters for photographic use, as well as solar cells. Below its melting point, selenium is a p-type semiconductor and has many uses in electronic and solid-state applications. Selenium is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.9999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder.
Selenium facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as  optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Selenium is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Selenium is a Block P, Group 16, Period 4 element. The number of electrons in each of Selenium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 6 and its electronic configuration is [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p4. In its elemental form selenium's CAS number is 7782-49-2. The selenium atom has a radius of 116.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 190.pm.
 All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Selenium compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Selenium was first discovered by Jons Berzelius in 1817. The origin of the name Selenium comes from the Greek word "Selênê" meaning moon.
 Sélénium |
 Selen |
 Selenio |
 Selênio |
 Selenio |
 Selen |
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of selenium and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| Se-74 |
73.922477 |
0.89 |
| Se-76 |
75.919214 |
9.36 |
| Se-77 |
76.919915 |
7.63 |
| Se-78 |
77.917310 |
23.78 |
| Se-80 |
79.916522 |
49.61 |
| Se-82 |
81.916700 |
8.73 |
The following table shows the abundance of Selenium present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
| |
Typical Human Body |
Universe |
| by Weight |
no data |
0.1 ppb |
| by Atom |
no data |
0.001 ppb |
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for selenium metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Selenium compounds, in small amounts, have an essential biological role. Selenium may help to protect against free radical oxidants and some heavy metals, it is also said to stimulate the metabolism. Sheep grown in areas with deficient amounts of Selenium in the soil can develop "white muscle disease".
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for selenium (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
940.97 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
2044.54 kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
2973.74 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to selenium's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 12 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 2.55. The thermal conductivity of selenium is 2.04 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for selenium are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
5.1 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
90 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
226.4 kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for Selenium
Efficient Preparation of Selenium/Glutathione-Enriched Candida utilis and Its Biological Effects on Rats.
Wang D, Yang B, Wei G, Liu Z, Wang C.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012 Jun 3. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22661074
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Micronutrient deficiency in obese subjects undergoing low calorie diet.
Damms-Machado A, Weser G, Bischoff SC.
Nutr J. 2012 Jun 1;11(1):34. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22657586
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Mineral intake.
Stathopoulou MG, Kanoni S, Papanikolaou G, Antonopoulou S, Nomikos T, Dedoussis G.
Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2012;108:201-36.
PMID:
22656379
[PubMed - in process]
Total and individual antioxidant intake and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.
Gifkins D, Olson SH, Paddock L, King M, Demissie K, Lu SE, Kong AN, Rodriguez-Rodriguez L, Bandera EV.
BMC Cancer. 2012 Jun 1;12(1):211. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22656322
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
The yin and yang of nrf2-regulated selenoproteins in carcinogenesis.
Brigelius-Flohé R, Müller M, Lippmann D, Kipp AP.
Int J Cell Biol. 2012;2012:486147. Epub 2012 May 8.
PMID:
22654914
[PubMed - in process]
Free Article
The role of micronutrients in the diet of HIV-1-infected individuals.
Nunnari G, Coco C, Pinzone MR, Pavone P, Berretta M, Di Rosa M, Schnell M, Calabrese G, Cacopardo B.
Front Biosci (Elite Ed). 2012 Jun 1;4:2442-56.
PMID:
22652651
[PubMed - in process]
Quantitative selenium speciation in human urine by using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.
Lu Y, Rumpler A, Francesconi KA, Pergantis SA.
Anal Chim Acta. 2012 Jun 20;731:49-59. Epub 2012 Apr 20.
PMID:
22652264
[PubMed - in process]
How changes in nutrition have influenced the development of allergic diseases in childhood.
Peroni DG, Bonomo B, Casarotto S, Boner AL, Piacentini GL.
Ital J Pediatr. 2012 May 31;38(1):22. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22651129
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free Article
Selenium and prostate cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hurst R, Hooper L, Norat T, Lau R, Aune D, Greenwood DC, Vieira R, Collings R, Harvey LJ, Sterne JA, Beynon R, Savovic J, Fairweather-Tait SJ.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 May 30. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22648711
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Correlation of oxidative stress with serum trace element levels and antioxidant enzyme status in Beta thalassemia major patients: a review of the literature.
Shazia Q, Mohammad ZH, Rahman T, Shekhar HU.
Anemia. 2012;2012:270923. Epub 2012 May 9.
PMID:
22645668
[PubMed - in process]
Free PMC Article
Selenium distribution and speciation in hyperaccumulator Astragalus bisulcatus and associated ecological partners.
Valdez Barillas JR, Quinn CF, Freeman JL, Lindblom SD, Fakra SC, Marcus MA, Gilligan TM, Alford ER, Wangeline AL, Pilon-Smits E.
Plant Physiol. 2012 May 29. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22645068
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free Article
[Morphometry characteristic of the gut mucous membranes condition in growing rats with different selenium provision].
[No authors listed]
Vopr Pitan. 2012;81(1):86-9. Russian.
PMID:
22642171
[PubMed - in process]
[In to the question of selenium using in case of foodstuffs enrichment].
[No authors listed]
Vopr Pitan. 2012;81(1):4-12. Russian.
PMID:
22642159
[PubMed - in process]
[The effect of selenium haemoglobin an resistant for photooxidative processes].
[No authors listed]
Ukr Biokhim Zh. 2012 Mar-Apr;84(2):53-60. Ukrainian.
PMID:
22642122
[PubMed - in process]
Hydrogen bond formation between the naturally modified nucleobase and phosphate backbone.
Sheng J, Zhang W, Hassan AE, Gan J, Soares AS, Geng S, Ren Y, Huang Z.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2012 May 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22641848
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free Article
Selenium promotes proliferation of chondrogenic cell ATDC5 by increment of intracellular ATP content under serum deprivation.
Yan J, Tian J, Zheng Y, Han Y, Lu S.
Cell Biochem Funct. 2012 May 29. doi: 10.1002/cbf.2845. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22641559
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Deletion of selenoprotein P results in impaired function of parvalbumin interneurons and alterations in fear learning and sensorimotor gating.
Pitts MW, Raman AV, Hashimoto AC, Todorovic C, Nichols RA, Berry MJ.
Neuroscience. 2012 Apr 19;208:58-68. Epub 2012 Feb 21.
PMID:
22640876
[PubMed - in process]
What dietary modification best improves insulin sensitivity and why?
Weickert MO.
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2012 May 29. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2012.04450.x. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22640465
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Methylseleninic acid restricts tumor growth in nude mice model of metastatic breast cancer probably via inhibiting angiopoietin-2.
Wu X, Zhang Y, Chen S, Xu Y, Pei Z, Lin D, Chen Y, Ma RZ.
BMC Cancer. 2012 May 28;12(1):192. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22640261
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Free Article
Antioxidant and Antitumor Activities of Selenium- and Zinc-Enriched Oyster Mushroom in Mice.
Yan H, Chang H.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012 May 26. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22639385
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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