Aluminium selenide is the inorganic compound with the formula Al2Se3.
Preparation
It is a solid prepared by igniting a mixture of the elements at 1,000 °C (1,830 °F):
2 Al + 3 Se → Al2Se3The pure compound is white, but typical samples are coloured.1 Samples are usually protected from moisture, because they hydrolyze readily, giving off highly toxic hydrogen selenide gas:2
Al2Se3 + 3 H2O → Al2O3 + 3 H2SeUse
Al2Se3 has been used as a precursor to hydrogen selenide, which is released when the solid is treated with acids.3
References
Waitkins, G. R.; Shutt, R. (1946). "Aluminum Selenide and Hydrogen Selenide". Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 2. pp. 183–186. doi:10.1002/9780470132333.ch55. ISBN 9780470132333. 9780470132333 ↩
Langner, Bernd E. (2005) "Selenium and Selenium Compounds" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a23_525 /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩
Waitkins, G. R.; Shutt, R. (1946). "Aluminum Selenide and Hydrogen Selenide". Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 2. pp. 183–186. doi:10.1002/9780470132333.ch55. ISBN 9780470132333. 9780470132333 ↩