TECL4 IN ORGANIC-SYNTHESIS - ELIMINATION-REACTIONS

TeCl4 has been shown to react smoothly with unsaturated or halogenated cyclohydrocarbons. With cyclohexene, alkylcyclohexenes, halogenocyclohexenes, halogenocyclohexanes or unsaturated polycyclic compounds at elevated temperatures (ca 80-degrees-C), aromatization takes place as the only process, whereas at room temperature, addition products of halogenation or halogenotelluration are also formed. With conjugated dienes only chlorine-containing products are obtained with TeCl4, whereas dienes with separated double bonds undergo addition of TeCl4 to the double bond. An ionic pathway for the addition and aromatization reactions is suggested.