Abstract To investigate the intramolecular van der Waals interactions between two divalent selenium centers in the solid state and in solution, we have prepared methyl 2- (methylselenyl) benzyl selenide (1), ethynyl 2-(methylselenyl) benzyl selenide (2), and 2- (methylselenyl) benzyl selenocyanate (3). By means of NMR spectroscopic studies we have determined the 77 Se NMR chemical shifts of the signals of the Se centers of 1–3 and their ...