Tellurium—lithium exchange vinylic tellurides

Kauffmann reported the first tellurium-lithium exchange reaction of a vinylic telluride with an organolithium compound.255 Phenyl vinyl telluride 168 was deprotonated by lithium dicyclohexylamide (LDCA) in THF, and the resulting vinyl anion 169 was reacted with chlorotrimethylsilane to give telluride 170. Vinylsilane telluroacetal 170 was then reacted with phenyllithium to give the corresponding vinyllithium, which was captured with chlorotrimethylsilane to give the bis-silylated ethane 171 (Scheme 96).255... 

In 1987, Sonoda and co-workers reported that the tellurium-lithium exchange reaction of l-(phenyltelluro)-2-phenylethene with -butyllithium, followed by capture with benzaldehyde, gave the corresponding allylic alcohol with retention of the double-bond configuration.243 It was observed that, depending on the length of time the reaction mixture of the aryl vinyl telluride and -butyllithium was allowed to equilibrate prior to addition of the electrophile, a complex mixtures of products could be formed (Scheme 97).256... 

Table 4 Stereospecific tellurium-lithium exchange in vinylic tellurides ...

Representative examples of these reactions are shown in Table 4. For more details, see recent reviews.8 10 Recently, more complex unsaturated systems were subjected to the tellurium-lithium exchange reaction.137,141 In Scheme 98, some examples of such a process are shown. In all cases, the (Z)-stereochemistry of the starting vinylic telluride was preserved.137... 

Lithium-tellurium exchange generation of vinyllithium (typical procedure). Method A. To a solution of butyl vinyl telluride (0.211 g, 1 mmol) in THF (4 mL) at -78°C under N2 is added dropwise a solution of n-BuLi (1.5 M in hexane, 0.67 mL, 1 mmol). After stirring for 40 min at -78°C, benzaldehyde (0.016 g, 1 mmol) is added. The mixture is allowed to react at room temperature for 30 min, diluted with EtOAc (40 mL) and washed with brine. 

Table 5 Tellurium-copper exchange of vinylic tellurides with lithium cyanocuprates...

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