New insights into the formation and structure of diaryl tritellurides

The reaction of 8-dimethylamino-1-naphthyl-lithium diethyl ether ate with tellurium powder and subsequent O 2 oxidation was reinvestigated. Besides the previously reported bis[8-(dimethylamino)naphthyl] ditelluride (1), the new bis[8-(dimethylamino)naphthyl] tritelluride (2) was isolated in 42% yield and fully characterized. Low-temperature 125 Te NMR spectroscopy provides evidence to suggest that analytically pure 2 is in equilibrium with 1 and bis[8-(dimethylamino)naphthyl] tetratelluride (2a).