The cathodic reduction of 2-, 3-and 4-(phenylseleno) benzonitrile has been carried out in N, N-dimethylformamide and acetonitrile, at mercury, Pt, and glassy carbon electrodes. The first reduction step is accompanied by C-Se bond breaking. In the presence of an acid (fluorene, phenol, Bu4NSO4H), cyanobenzeneselenolate anions are thus generated in high yields, together with a small amount of benzeneselenolate anions (about 85% and 15% yields, ...