Specific features of the reactivity of organotellurium compounds

The characteristic features of the reactivity of the principal classes of organic compounds of tellurium(II) and tellurium(IV) are examined and compared with the analogous compounds of sulfur and selenium. The factors determing the specific features of the chemical behaviour of orgamotellurium compounds are characterised. It is shown that the possibility of the convenient introduction of tellurium-containing functional groups, their structural modification, elimination, the low-temperature elimination of the tellurium atom as a result of the low energy of the C–Te bond, and the high nucleophilicity of the tellurolate anions and diorganyl tellurides together with other properties create preconditions for the development of a new methodology in organic synthesis. The bibliography includes 446 references.