Carbon of interconnecting carbon–carbon bonds, a property that is called catenation. Carbon-carbon bonds are strong and stable. Through catenation, carbon forms a countless number of compounds. A tally of unique compounds shows that more contain carbon that those that do not. A similar claim can be made for hydrogen because most organic compounds also contain hydrogen. The simplest form of an organic molecule is the hydrocarbon—a large family of organic molecules that are composed of hydrogen atoms bonded to a chain of carbon atoms. A hydrocarbon backbone can be substituted by other atoms, known as heteroatoms. Common heteroatoms that appear in
Carbon diselenide Carbon diselenide Carbon diselenide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CSe. It is a yellow-orange oily liquid with pungent odor. It is an analogue of carbon disulfide (CS). This light-sensitive compound is insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents. Carbon diselenide is a linear molecule with D symmetry. It is produced by reacting selenium powder with dichloromethane vapor near 550 °C. It was first reported by Grimm and Metzger, who prepared it by treating hydrogen selenide with carbon tetrachloride in a hot tube. Like carbon disulfide, carbon diselenide polymerizes under high pressure. The structure of the polymer