Phenolic compounds are important antioxidants with great ROS scavenging potential and the presence of the hydroxyl groups is fundamental for this chemical activity. Therefore, changing the chalcogen atom (oxygen) with any of its siblings of group 16 (sulfur, selenium and tellurium) may affect the reactivity of these compounds. In this work, the ROS scavenging activity and mechanism of phenyl chalcogenols was evaluated in silico, unravelling better performance with heavier chalcogens, both thermodynamically and kinetically. Furthermore, a scavenging mechanism switch is reported, moving from Concerted Proton Electron Transfer (CPET) in phenols to Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) in the other phenyl chalcogenols. Both kinetic trends and mechanistic features are rationalized in the framework of Activation Strain Analysis (ASA). Lastly, the role of aromaticity is evidenced by analyzing the differences between the phenol/phenoxyl and methanol/methoxyl self-exchange reactions, as well as between the corresponding processes with the other chalcogens.

In this work, we employ a systematic quantitative computational approach to study the scavenging activity via formal hydrogen atom transfer (f-HAT) of a series of phenolic compounds. The most common features present in natural polyphenols are included to analyze their effect in the reactivity with radicals. All molecules are classified according to the analyzed effect: aromaticity size (class A), number and position of multiple hydroxyl (OH) groups (class B), and type and position of various substituents inspired by natural systems (classes C–E). The analysis also includes the corresponding anions for systems with pK_a values that permit deprotonation under physiological conditions. Finally, all the identified criteria for selecting effective polyphenolic antioxidants are validated in real systems, such as anthocyanidins, providing insightful tools for drug design.

The synthesis and characterization of organo‐selenium compounds have attracted considerable interest for decades, driven by the search for efficient catalysts and bioinspired antioxidants; the investigation and exploitation of selenium─metal motifs in biological and medicinal chemistry represent a recent development and constitute the focus of this review. Selenoproteins are targets of metal ions like mercury and cadmium, whose toxicity is associated with the formation of stable selenium─metal bonds impairing protein function. On the other hand, selenium─metal bonding provides a strategy for tuning both chalcogen and metal reactivity, potentially enhancing the pharmacological performance of metallodrugs. Coordination to transition metals can modify redox potentials, bond polarization, and reactivity, thereby enabling multifunctional compounds combining metal‐based pharmacophores with the redox activity of selenium. These systems may modulate reactive oxygen species, inhibit enzymes, and enhance selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. The formation of selenium─metal bonds in biological environment can also alter the function of metalloproteins, accounting for the toxicity of organoselenides. By combining experimental structural and reactivity properties with mechanistic insights from computational chemistry, we highlight the unifying concepts that govern selenium─metal bonding and to illustrate how these concepts can guide the rational design of new classes of selenium‐based functional molecules.

We describe a set of teaching activities designed for first-year students in a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Technologies, aimed at fostering active and engaging preparation for the final thermodynamics exam. The teaching plan is centered on the creation of individual assessment portfolios developed over 5 weeks (32 h) of lectures, supporting students in following the course content with increasing proficiency. The use of AI tools is explicitly encouraged, and students have the chance to experience their advantages and limitations. A qualitative interpretation of the results obtained from a case study involving 65 students indicates strong engagement and overall satisfaction, as well as encouraging improvements in examination performance, supporting the importance of formative assessment in university courses.