Organic Selenocyanates: Synthesis, Characterization and Uses in Chemistry and Biology

This review is devoted to organic selenocyanates. In the first part, the preparation of these compounds is reported. Organic selenocyanates have been synthesized by reaction of substrates with potassium selenocyanate, selenium diselenocyanate, diselenocyanate or selenium dicyanate. The reactions of selenenyl halides with cyanide ions or selenolates with cyanogen bromide are also efficient. In the second part, the physicochemical properties of organic selenocyanates are described. Infrared, NMR, Photoelectron and Microwave spectra are successively commented for the simplest alkyl, aryl and functionalized derivatives, viz. methyl-, phenyl-, vinyl-, ethynyl-, allyl-, propargyl-, allenyl and cyclopropylselenocyanates. The chemical reactions involving organic selenocyanates are then reported showing the diversity of applications of these compounds in the preparation of other selenium derivatives. In the last part, the recent applications of some derivatives for their antistress, antiradiation, antioxidative, antimutagenic, anticarcinogen and chemopreventive properties are summarized.