Dear Colleagues,

Unique among the elements' chemical properties are the abilities of some of the chalcogens to dimerize covalently, forming linkages which are oxidatively reversible. Disulfide and (to a lesser extent) diselenide bond-forming reactions constitute an important vector of covalent bond construction in organic synthesis, in part due to their well-established reversibility which allows for enhanced molecular engineering potential. Their construction being oxidatively induced primarily through manipulation of reduced thiol and selenol precursors, disulfide and diselenide bond formation expand the repertoire of available strategies for organic chemists toward synthetic design. Although the prevalence of chemical syntheses toward the manufacture of these structural motifs are frequently confined to post-synthetic manipulation of peptide systems, small molecule drug design is increasingly dependent upon the inclusion of disulfide and diselenide-bonded intermediates. Moreover, biological vectors are increasingly recruited in which disulfide and diselenide bridges are artificially inserted or interchanged in native protein structures in order to tune their activity or elucidate the mechanism of action.

This special issue of Molecules encourages the submission of previously unpublished research describing investigative efforts in the area of disulfide and diselenide bond formation, mode-of-action, and physiochemical properties. In addition to synthetic methodology toward the manufacture of disulfide and diselenide architecture, reports pertaining to direct practical application of these structural systems are encouraged.

Dr. Stevenson Flemer 
Guest Editor

• disulfide
• diselenide
• selenylsulfide
• cysteine
• selenocysteine
• thiol
• selenol