Synthesis of the first examples of 1-benzotellurepines and 1-benzoselenepines

Abstract

The novel 2-alkyl-1-benzotellurepines 8 and 2-alkyl-1-benzoselenepines 9 have been obtained by sodium borohydride reduction of the ditelluride 4 and diselenide dimmers 5, prepared from 4-alkyl-1-(o-bromophenyl)but-1-en-3-ynes 3via three steps in one pot, together with the 2-methylene-tellurachromenes 10 and -selenachromenes 11, respectively, via the phenyl-selenol and -tellurol intermediates 6 and 7.