Scientists from Russia’s Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University (Moscow) have developed new organic selenium-containing compounds that can bind both positive and negative ions. These molecules can be used in various fields, from accelerating chemical reactions to creating sensors and purifying water. Additionally, some of them were twice as effective as traditional fungicides used in agriculture. The research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
In inorganic chemistry, organic ligands play an important role because they form complexes with various atoms and ions, allowing them to accelerate chemical reactions and create luminous materials. Scientists have focused on the synthesis of selenium-containing ligands using readily available and inexpensive aromatic compounds containing nitrogen and selenium atoms. As a result of oxidation, they obtained a molecule with four aromatic rings and two selenium atoms, and they modified this molecule by adding various chemical groups and metals such as iron, copper, gold and silver.
The synthesis of new ligands was successful due to the fact that products were obtained practically without impurities, which greatly simplified their use. These compounds have a positive charge and can interact with different ions, which is rare for ligands. Scientists tested the new molecules and found that their derivatives exhibited antifungal activity. For example, a ligand combined with gold was twice as effective as traditional fungicides against fungi attacking conifers. According to project manager Alexander Tskhovrebov, this development opens up new opportunities for purifying water and creating new materials for sensors.
Source: Ferra
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