2-acetylphenyl butyl

Acetylphenyl butyl tellurium is formylated at the acetyl-methyl group by methyl formate and sodium in diethyl ether. The formyl compound is converted to butyl 2-(diazoacetyl)-phenyl tellurium upon treatment with 4-methylbenzenesulfonyl azide1. The diazoacetyl group is converted to the dibromoacetyl group by bromine in diethyl ether1. 

The ease with which the Te — Te bond in ditellurium compounds is cleaved drastically limits the reactions for the modification of functional groups that are already present in the organic part of the molecules. The conversion of bis[2-carboxyphenyl] ditellurium to bis[chlorocarbonylphenyl] ditellurium by butyl dichloromethyl ether in the presence of anhydrous zinc chloride the acid hydrolysis of the ethylene acetals of bis[4-acetylphenyl] and bis[2-acetylphenyl] ditellurium to the bis[acetylphenyl] ditellurium derivatives, the saponification of bis[co-methoxycarbonylalkyl] ditelluriums to the corresponding bis[m-carboxyalkyl] ditelluriumand the oxidation of bis[2-formylphenyl] ditellurium by silver nitrate to bis[2-carboxyphenyl] ditellurium are the modifications of the organic moieties in diorgano ditellurium compounds that have been carried out successfully. 

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