Alkyl Halides to Alkanecarboxylic Acids

Alkyl halides react with sodium benzenetellurolate to yield alkyl phenyl telluriums. These compounds are converted to alkanecarboxylic esters upon treatment with carbon monoxide in methanol in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of triethylamine and palladium(II) chloride.  

Irgolic Organo Tellurium Compounds with 2 Te —C Bonds or 1 Te —C Bond 

When the reactions were carried out in acetonitrile with palladium acetate or in methanol with palladium chloride/triethylamine with other phenyl alkyl telluriums, the yields of alkanecarboxylic acids never exceeded 8%  

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