Tellurium Tetrathiolates

Tellurium tetrathiolates were claimed to be formed from tellurium tetrachloride and stoichiometric amounts of thiols and dithiols at low temperature with ethanol as the reaction medium. A reinvestigation of these reactions showed that tellurium tetrathiolates could not be isolated under these conditions. The products were mixtures of bis[organothio] tellurium and diorgano disulfides (see p. 38). 

The tellurium atom is coordinated to eight sulfur atoms in the crystalline tellurium tetrakis[dithiocarbamates]. The geometry is best described as a distorted dodecahedron . 

Elemental tellurium and bis[dimethylaminothiocarbonyl] disulfide were electrolyzed (50 V) in acetone/tetraethylammonium perchlorate for 109 minutes at an initial current of 24 mA. Thirty milligrams of tellurium dissolved and produced tellurium tetrakis[dimethyldithio-carbamate] in 86% yield.  

Esperas, S. Husebye, S.E. Svaeren, Acta Chem. Scand. 25, 3539 (1971). 

Irgolic Organo-tellurium Compounds without a C,Te-Bond 

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