mass spectral investigations on selenium compounds. *

Substituted benzeneseleninic acids of the type XC6H4SeO2H (X = m-Cl, p-Cl, m-Br, p-Br, p-Me, m-NO2, p-NO2) have been investigated by mass spectrometry. The fragmentation modes and the fragment ions are discussed and compared with those obtained from the mass spectrum of m-nitro-phenyl selenocyanate, O2NC6H4SeCN. Generally, as regards the acids, besides very weak peaks due to the molecular ions, a number of peaks at higher mass numbers and of greater intensity is observed; these peaks are in multiplets typical of the presence of two selenium atoms, and they correspond to the disubstituted diphenyl diselenides of the type XC6H4SeSeC6H4X. m-Nitrophenyl selenocyanate shows an intense molecular ion peak and the relative fragmentation, while the peak due to the diselenide is of very low intensity.