Synthesis and structural aspects of 1-naphthyltellurium(IV) trichloride (1), bis(mesityl)tellurium(IV) dichloride (2) and bis(chlorobis(2-thiophenyl)tellurium)oxide (3)

Abstract Chlorination of bis(1-naphthyl)ditelluride (NplTeTeNpl; Npl = 1-C 10 H 7 ) with 3 equiv. of sulfuryl chloride (SO 2 Cl 2 ) resulted in bright yellow crystals of 1-naphthyltellurium(IV) trichloride (1-NplTeCl 3 ; 1 ). Bis(mesityl)tellurium(IV) dichloride, Mes 2 TeCl 2 , 2 (Mes = 2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 ) has been synthesized by the oxidative addition of sulfuryl chloride to bis(mesityl)telluride(II), prepared from detelluration of bis(mesityl)ditelluride with a freshly prepared electrolytic copper. Bis(chlorobis(2-thiophenyl)tellurium)oxide, (Tpn 2 TeCl) 2 O, 3 (Tpn = 2-C 4 H 3 S) have been obtained serendipitously as a product of reaction between bis(thiophenyl)tellurium(IV) dichloride (Tpn 2 TeCl 2 ) and AgCN. All the three compounds 1 – 3 have been characterized crystallographically. In crystal lattice of 1 , an asymmetric unit consists of two independent molecules and both the molecules form a separate polymeric zig-zag chains via μ 2 -chloro bridging. These two polymeric chains are interlinked via C−H⋯Cl H-bonding interactions to form a one dimensional supramolecular array. In case of 2 a dimeric unit has been realized through C−H⋯Cl H-bonding interaction while in 3 a one dimensional supramolecular array has been formed via intermolecular Te⋯Cl1 secondary bonding interactions, where both the tellurium atoms exhibit ψ-trigonal bipyramidal geometry.