Functionalized Organotellurium Halides: Synthesis,Characterization, and Observation of Intra- and Intermolecular Secondary Bonding

Abstract

Activated tellurium, but not selenium, reacts with para-substituted benzoylmethyl bromides as well as with iodoacetamide at their melting points in absence of a solvent to give bis(p-substituted benzoylmethyl)tellurium dibromides, (p-YC₆H₄COCH₂)₂TeBr₂, (Y = H, Me, and MeO) and bis(acetamido)tellurium diiodide, (H₂NCOCH₂)₂TeI₂, respectively. Quick reduction of (p-YC₆H₄COCH₂)₂TeBr₂, with sodium metabisulphite in a two-phase system yields crystalline (p-YC₆H₄COCH₂)₂Te. These tellurides undergo smooth oxidative addition of halogens, interhalogen ICl or a pseudohalogen (SCN)₂. Intramolecular coordination of the carbonyl group in these functionalized diorganotellurium dihalides is evident from IR spectra and shorter Te···O (carbonyl) distances in comparison to the sum of van der Waals radii and completes six coordination around Te atom. Not unexpectedly, therefore, intermolecular secondary bonding effects of the type Te…O, Te···X and X···X are missing in (PhCOCH₂)₂TeBr₂, (p-MeOC₆H₄COCH₂)TeBr₂ and (PhCOCH₂)₂TeI₂. Instead, these compounds provide rare examples, among organotellurium compounds, of supramolecular architecture, where C–H···Br and C–H···O hydrogen bonds and π-π (phenyl ring) interactions appear to be the noncovalent intermolecular associative forces that dominate the crystal packing.