Selenocines (Figure 1) have been demonstrated to provide a stable source of organodiselenide dianions (similar to 5) by cleavage of the two diseleno bridges with LiAlH4. 12 However, oxidation of 5, with oxygen, did not cleanly give the expected selenocine 6, but produced products of higher oxidation states (selenoxides), as determined by mass spectroscopy.
