Substituted selenourea–tellurium tetrahalide adducts: Precursors to selenium–tellurium alloys

Abstract

N,N-Dimethylselenourea (DMSeU) yields, with TeX, ( X = Cl or Br), a variety of compounds having bonds from selenium to tellurium. Excluding molecules of solvation these compounds display the following stoichiometries: [(DMSeU>,TeJX2, (DMSeU)3(TeX4)2, and (D MSe U),Te,X,. Tetramethy lselenourea (TMSe U ) gives, with TeBr,, crystals of (TMSeU)2TeBr4. Both the carbon-selenium and tellurium-halogen bonds undergo hydrolysis under mild conditions to yield precipitates that ure ulloys of selenium and tellurium. Thus, this group of. compounds affords a new approach to the synthesis o f selenium-tellurium alloys. Some of the properties of these compounds, as well as the crystal structure of [(DMSeU),Te]C12, are described in this article.