Ytterbium Tellurolates

Copper(I) alkanetellurolates and arenetellurolates were prepared from the sodium tellurolates or triphenylstannyl organo tellurium compounds and copper(I) chloride. The copper tellurolates are extremely insoluble, polymeric red-brown solids. 

Copper Ethanetellurolateh 0.3t g (1 mmol) of diethyl ditellurium are dissolved in 50 m/ of ethanol, 0.18 g (5 mmol) of sodium borohydride in 10 m/of 1 molar aqueous sodium hydroxide solution are added, and the mixture is stirred vigorously under nitrogen for 15 min. A solution of 0.20 g (2 mmol) of copper(I) chloride in 25 ml of ethanol is added, the mixture is filtered, the brown solid is washed with ethanol and diethyl ether, and dried under vacuum. 

Examples of similarly prepared compounds are copper butanetellurolate, pentanetellurolate, benzenetelluro-late, and 4-ethoxybenzenetellurolate.  

Copper Benzenetellurolate To 75 ml of chloroform are added 0.25 g (2.5 mmol) of copper(I) chloride and 1.27 g (2.5 mmol) of phenyl triphenylgermyl tellurium. The mixture is stirred at 20 for 24 h, and then filtered. The precipitate is washed with diethyl ether and the red-brown solid is dried yield 0.3 g (45%) m.p. 117°. 

Similarly prepared using organo triphenylstannyl tellurium compounds as starting materials were the following copper tellurolates.  

---