Alkyl telluraalkanoates CnH2n+1Te(CH2)mCOOR (R = CH3, C2H5 OR H)

Methyl telluraalkanoates, C_nH_2n+1Te(CH₂)_mCOOR (n, m: 4, 7; 6, 4; 6, 7; 6, 9; 7, 4; 8, 7; 11, 2; 11, 5; 18, 11) were synthesized in yields ranging from 33 to 82 percent based on the quantities of the methyl ω-bromoalkanoates substrates. Disodium ditelluride was obtained from tellurium and sodium in ethylenediamine and was treated with alkyl bromides to give dialkyl ditellurides. The crude ditellurides were reduced with NaBH₄ to the alkane tellurolates which were coupled with methyl ω-bromoalkanoates to give the methyl telluraalkanoates. Ethyl 4-tellurapentadecanoate was prepared similarly from ethyl 3-bromopropanoate. The telluraalkanoates were characterized by elemental analyses, mass spectrometry, NMR spectrometry, and UV and IR spectrophotometry. Telluraalkanoates radiolabeled with ^123mTe or other radioisotopes have been reported elsewhere to be preferentially taken up by the heart and promise to be useful as myocardial imaging agents.