Exchange of Halide for Organic Anions

Mixing aqueous solutions of triaryl or alkyl aryl telluronium halides and picric acid or sodium picrate precipitates triorgano telluronium picrates that crystallize easily. Trialkyl telluronium pricrates appear to be more soluble than the triaryl telluronium picrates . 

Trimethyl Telluronium Picrate Trimethyl telluronium iodide, prepared from 1.6 g of dimethyl tellurium diiodide, potassium sulfite, and methyl iodide, is dissolved in water and a saturated aqueous solution of picric acid is added until precipitation of the telluronium picrate ceases. The solid is filtered off, washed with eold water, and dried in air yield 0.3 g (20% based on dimethyl tellurium diiodide) m.p. 127° (dec.). 

Examples of similarly prepared triorgano telluronium picrates are  

5-dimethylphenyl diphenyl telluronium picrate dimethyl trifluoromethyl telluronium picrate  

Refluxing triorgano telluronium halides with silver carboxylate in water yields triorgano telluronium carboxylates  

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