Lithium ethynyl tellurolates

Otherwise a variety of acetylene tellurides have been prepared by the reaction of lithium ethynyl tellurolates with alkyl halides. 

The preparation of lithium acetylides from acetylenes and butyl lithium can be carried out in THF at 20°. The lithium acetylides react with tellurium to form lithium ethynetellurolates. These tellurolates were reacted with chloroiodomethane at — 40° to — 60 to give the corresponding chloromethyl ethynyl telluriums11. Yields and physical properties of these latter products were not reported. 

The addition of sodium or lithium tellurolates to carbon-carbon triple bonds can occur intramolecularly when an ethynyl group is suitably located within the molecule to allow the formation of a tellurium-containing heterocyclic compound3,4. 

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