Selected Oxo-Chalcogenates

As mentioned in the introduction, there are a large number of salts of the chalcogen oxygen acids that have been prepared and characterized, and it is far beyond the scope of this chapter to take care of all of them. Therefore, only a 

Generally, oxo-selenates can be classified according to the oxidation state of the selenium atom as oxu-selenates(IV), and o.Yo-selenates(VI). The same applies for the respective tellurates. Besides this systematically correct naming, chemists usually use the terms selenites and tellurites instead of o. o-selenates(IV) and oxo-tellurates(IV), and selenates and tellurates instead of OAO-selenates(VI) and oxo-tellurates(VI). Therefore, both nomenclatures will be used in parallel throughout this chapter. Compared to the respective sulfur species, the oxo-selenate(IV) and oxo-tellurates(IV) ions are very stable so that numerous compounds with these anions have been prepared. 

The free selenite ion has a pyramidal shape (C3v symmetry) owing to the lone electron pair at the selenium atom. Thus, the Se032- ion can be treated as a pseudo-tetrahedral anion and the lone electron pair often acts as an invisible ligand within the crystal structures of selenites. This observation is called the stereochemical activity of the lone electron pair and it will turn out as one of the 

Common routes for the synthesis of selenates and tellurates(IV and VI) are the reactions of metal oxides or carbonates with the repsective acids (see Section 4). The disadvantage of this procedure is, that one usually obtains hydrates or, at higher acid concentrations, acidic compounds. Because the oxides E03 and E02 (E=Se, Te) are solids under ambient conditions, solid-state reactions with the respective metal oxides are an alternative route to prepare the anhydrous compounds. 

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