12-membered macrocycles containing ditelluroxane and selenotelluroxane units

Abstract

The reaction of benzeneseleninic acid with bis(p-methoxyphenyl)tellurium dihalide [halide = Cl (1), Br (2)] afforded colorless crystals in moderate yield. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of 12-membered macrocycles [(p-MeO-C6H4)2Te(μ-O)(μ- PhSeO2)(μ4-X)]2 [X = Cl (1), Br (2)] where the halogen atoms, which are stabilized by Te-X interactions, cap the macrocycle on both sides. The reaction of NaI with 1 afforded the iodo-capped macrocycle [(p-MeO-C6H4)2Te(μ-O)(μ-PhSeO 2)(μ4-I)]2 (3) in good yield. In the solid-state structures of 1-3, the alignment of the phenyl group on Se changes with respect to the macrocycle. Macrocycle 3 shows rare Se-π interactions, which lead to the formation of a supramolecular polymeric network. Further reaction of methaneseleninic acid with bis(p-methoxyphenyl)tellurium dichloride in methanol in the presence of triethylamine afforded a 12-membered macrocycle [(p-MeO-C6H4)2Te(μ-O)(μ-MeSeO 2)(μ4-Cl)]2 (4), which is structurally similar to 1-3.