REDUCTIVE CLEAVAGE OF SE-SE AND TE-TE BOND BY SAMARIUM DIIODIDE - SYNTHESIS OF SELENOESTERS, TELLUROESTERS, UNSYMMETRICAL ALKYLPHENYL SELENIDES AND TELLURIDES

The reduction of diaryl diselenides and ditelluides by samarium diiodide led to samarium arylselenolates and samarium aryltellurolates respectively (ArSeSmI2 and ArTeSmI2). These species reacted smoothly with acyl halides and alkyl halides to give selenoesters and alkylselenides or telluroesters and alkyltellurides in good yields under mild and neutral condition.