Beryllium selenide is a gray metallic compound with the chemical formula BeSe. It has a wide and narrow band gap and is a semiconductor [1]. It can be lattice-matched with silicon in order to create new heterojunctions for modern solid-state nanodevices. [2] In its elemental form, beryllium is a soft metal that has good mechanical properties (flexural rigidity and thermal conductivity) as well as excellent transparency to X-rays and other forms of ionizing radiation. It is often used as a window material for X-ray equipment and particle physics detectors. It is also commonly added as an alloying component to aluminium, copper, iron and nickel in order to improve their physical properties. However, beryllium is toxic if inhaled, causing a serious and potentially fatal lung disease called berylliosis. It must therefore be handled with extreme care and appropriate safety precautions.
The chemical formula for beryllium selenide is based on the number of each type of atom present. This is determined by using the atomic number convention for inorganic compounds or, as is often the case with organic molecules, the Lewis structure convention based on the carbon atom. In either case, the resulting molecular formula is then written in a chemical equation, for example, in the stoichiometry of a reaction.
The two-dimensional chemical structure of beryllium selenide can be visualized in our online visualization tool. The molecular structure can be rotated interactively and the size of the molecule can be changed by dragging the mouse button or by using the mouse wheel. In addition, the chemical bonds can be highlighted by selecting an atom or bond.