HALOGENATION OF SULFUR AND SELENIUM COMPOUNDS

Compounds having divalent sulfur and selenium atoms bound to more electronegative elements react with alkenes to give addition products. The mechanism is similar to that in halogenation and involves of bridged cationic intermediates. 

Tellurium Halides. Tellurium forms the dihalides TeCl and TeBi, but not Tel2. However, it forms tetrahalides with all four halogens. Tellurium decafluoride [53214-07-6] and hexafluoride can also be prepared. No monohalide, Te2X2, is believed to exist. Tellurium does not form well-defined oxyhalides as do sulfur and selenium. The tellurium halides show varying tendencies to form complexes and addition compounds with nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, pyridine, simple and substituted thioureas and anilines, and ethylenediamine, as well as sulfur trioxide and the chlorides of other elements. 

The direct electrophilic addition of the elements H—X to aikenes, dienes and alkynes, where X = halogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and selenium, is among the oldest known and most important synthetic methods used to prepare the corresponding addition compounds. Unfortunately, much of the early lit-... 

The chemistry of sulfur is a broad area that includes such chemicals as sulfuric acid (the compound prepared in the largest quantity) as well as unusual compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and halogens. Although there is an extensive chemistry of selenium and tellurium, much of it follows logically from the chemistry of sulfur if allowance is made for the more metallic character of the heavier elements. All isotopes of polonium are radioactive, and compounds of the element are not items of commerce or great use. Therefore, the chemistry of sulfur will be presented in more detail. 

Consider the proper placement of tellurium and iodine in the periodic table, as shown in Figure 1-3. Te has the heavier atomic weight. The chemical properties of tellurium are like those of selenium because both are semi-metallic elements that form compounds like those of sulfur. Iodine resembles bromine because these elements are nonmetallic halogens that form compounds like those of chlorine. Therefore, the order in the table cannot be based solely on atomic weight. 

The chemical properties of selenium fall between sulfur and tellurium. Thus, selenium reacts with oxygen similarly to sulfur, forming two oxides, selenium dioxide, Se02 and trioxide, SeOs. The metal combines with halogens forming their halides. With nonmetals, selenium forms binary compounds exhibiting oxidation states +4 and -i-6. 

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