Orange to brown crystals and powder
Diphenyl ditelluride may be used in the assay of organolithium and Grignard reagents.
DIPHENYL DITELLURIDE is prepared by the action of aryllithium or arylmagnesium halides on tellurium powder followed by oxidation with air or with aqueous potassium ferricyanide. Electron-rich diaryl ditellurides (e.g. bis(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl) ditelluride) are prepared by reaction of the arene with tellurium tetrachloride to give the aryltellurium trichloride followed by reduction with Na2S2O5.
Diphenyl ditelluride (PhTe)2 is a versatile reagent used in the organic synthesis. Neurotoxicity by (PhTe)2 depends on the modulation of signaling pathways initiated at the plasma membrane. Comparative toxicological effects of diphenyl diselenide and (PhTe)2 in mice after in vivo administration has been reported. Teratogenic effects of (PhTe)2 on chicken embryo development has been investigated. The oxidative addition of (PhTe)2 to [Pd(PPh3)4] in dichloromethane is reported to yield [Pd6Cl2Te4(TePh)2(PPh3)6]·1/2CH2Cl2.
air stable; unknown toxicity. Use in a fume hood.
