Dear colleagues
Is there any non-toxic solvent for selenium sulfide? The color of the selenium sulfide is orange and I want to apply it in cell culture.
Selenium sulfide in itself is toxic, dangerous and a carcinogen, so care must be taken when handling it. It is soluble in carbon disulfide (it is also toxic).
It is also possible to dissolve selenium sulfide by boiling with fuming nitric acid for about 1 h.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0731708501006185?via%3Dihub
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Selenium-disulfide
It is insoluble in water. It is toxic by ingestion and inhalation and is irritating to the skin and eyes. It is used to make medicated shampoos. Selenium sulfide is a sulfide salt.
It is soluble in carbon disulfide. You can make a concentrated solution in this then dilute it with DMSO. Cells generally tolerate a few % of DMSO but always good to run a solvent control.
Honestly saying, if your purpose of usage of this salt is "Selenium", then I would recommend using other salts with more "Solubility Product Constant" Ksp index. Sulfate is toxic enough to cells, this is the point we consider. You can check other chemicals like selenium oxide from the list of selenium compounds with less toxicity and higher Ksp value if possible. If not and you have to use only this salt, then you better warm up the water (37 °C) and then solve the salt as naturally, selenium sulfide has less tendency to become soluble in water.
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