Certain Oxidation Products of Alkyl Tellurium Compounds Optically Active Methyl Anisyl Carbinol.

The object of the present investigation is to prepare di-n-amyl telluroxide, if that is not possible then to study the oxidation product of the di-n-amyl terruride and compare them with those obtained by Balfe, Chaplin, and Phillips (J. , 1938, 341). Organic tellurdes were prepared by the action of alkyl halides on sodium telluride in a reducing atmosphere. Telluretine salts were prepared from di-n-amyl telluride by the action of halogenated esters corresponding to the analogeous thetine and secenetine salts. A quadrivalent telluronium compound was prepared from n-amyl bromide by the action of w-bromo-acephenone. Bivalent tellurium compounds were prepared by the thermal decomposition of these telluretine salts and the telluronium compound. Oxidation products were obtained from di-n-amyl telluride and the bivalent tellurium compounds by the action of atmospheric oxygen and other oxidising agents. The products which were isolated showed that oxidation had proceeded to a very advanced stage. Investigation showed that the oxidation products are either n-amyltellurinic acid or highly polymerised and complex substances consisting of n-amyltellurinic acid associated with the corresponding telluroxide. A quadrivalent telluronium compound was also obtained from di-n-amyl telluride and methyl iodide. Double compounds of the type AmaxTe->HgX2 were obtained by the action of mercuric halides on di-n-amyl telluride. The corresponding di-methylamyl telluride mercuric halides have very recently been prepared by Carr and Pearson (J. , 1938, 282). Attempts were made to prepare alkyl telluride from tertiary alkyl halides and to study its oxidation products. But the di-tert-butyl telluride decomposed within a few days of its preparation. Conclusions were drawn from the present investigation and from the works of the previous investigators as to the nature and constitution of the oxidation products obtained from the di-alkyl telluride and other bivalent tellurium compounds