Lithium and sodium 2-thiophenetellurolates have been used for the reductive dehalogenation of a variety of -halo ketones and acids. Acetoxy, mesyloxy, and phenylthio groups were also successfully removed from the a position of an acetophenone. The reductions could in many cases be carried out by using sodium borohydride as the reducing agent in the presence of only a catalytic amount of the organotellurium reagent. Evidence is presented in support of a two-step mechanism involving the formation of -aryltelluro carbonyl derivatives and enolate anions in succession.Methods for the selective removal of certain functional groups adjacent to a carbonyl have recently received considerable attention. In particular, a number of procedures have been developed to bring about the reductive dehalogenation of -halo ketones. Zinc in acetic acid,1 11phos-phines2-5 and various inorganic phosphorus compounds,6 sodium borohydride,7 iodide ion,8-11 thiols12 and selenols,13 titanium trichloride,14 vanadium(II) chloride,15 N¿f-dimethylaniline,16 organotin hydrides,17 sodium dithionite,18 and various metal carbonyls19-21 are some of the reagents that have been used.The recent report of the use of sodium hydrogen telluride for the denomination of uic-dibromides22 and the early observation by Bergson23 that sodium telluride and sodium ditelluride reduced chloroacetic acid to acetic acid suggested that anionic organotellurium reagents might be capable of effecting the reductive dehalogenation of «-halo carbonyl compounds. We now describe the reductions of some «-substituted ketones and carboxylic acids using lithium and sodium 2-thiophenetellurolate (1).
Results and DiscussionLithium arenetellurolates are readily available by the insertion of elemental tellurium into the carbon-metal bond of various organolithium compounds. This reaction is especially effective when the aromatic moiety is heter-