The electrochemistry of organotellurium compounds—I. The class of aryltellurium trichlorides

The electrochemical behaviour of various classes of organotellurium compounds in methylene chloride containing tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) as supporting electrolyte was studied. It was found that the half-wave potentials of the reduction waves of the p-substituent ArTeCl₃ are linearly proportional to the corresponding substituent constants (ΔE_1/2/Δδp = 0.73 V).

Artyltellurium trichlorides were found to be reduced in a one-electron pathway to the corresponding ditellurides followed by disproportionation of the ditellurides to tellurides. In some cases, as in the reduction of PhTeCl₃, metallic tellurium was deposited on the electrode at a very low faradaic efficiency.