C(sp3)H⋯O and C(sp2)H⋯O hydrogen bonds in acyclic- and cyclic-organotellurium carboxylates

The reactions between R2TeI2 (R2=(CH3)2, C4H8, C5H10) and AgOCOR′ (R′=C6H5, 4-NO2C6H4, CHCHC6H5) (molar ratio 1:2) yield diorganotellurium dicarboxylates: (CH3)2Te(OCOC6H5)2 (1), C5H10 Te(OCOC6H5)2 (2), C4H8Te(OCO4-NO2C6H4)2 (3) and C4H8Te(OCOCHCHC6H5)2 (4). They are characterized by IR, (1H, 13C, 125Te) solution NMR; (13C, 125Te) solid state NMR spectroscopy. The X-ray structures of 1–4 (the immediate environment about tellurium is that of distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry with a stereochemically active electron lone pair) are described in the context of their ability to generate intermolecular CH⋯O hydrogen bonds, which lead to the formation of supramolecular assemblies.