Facile access to aryltellurium compounds from arylboronic acids

Arylboronic acids were treated with tellurium tetrachloride to generate substituted aryltellurium trichlorides, which were reduced to the corresponding diaryl ditellurides in good to excellent overall yields. Representative products include diphenyl ditelluride, bis(2-nitrophenyl) ditelluride, bis(3-nitrophenyl) ditelluride, bis(4-methylphenyl) ditelluride and bis(2-chlorphenyl) ditelluride. 3,5-Dimethylphenyl 2′-nitrophenyl telluride and 3,5-dimethylphenyl 3′-nitrophenyl telluride were prepared in analogous fashion, in modest yields, from 3,5-dimethylphenyltellurium tribromide and the corresponding nitrophenylboronic acids.