Contrasting behavior of bis[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl] chalcogenides (Se/Te) toward mercuric chloride: Facile cleavage of the Te-C bond

Abstract

The reactions of R2Se (3) and R2Te (4) (R = 2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl) with HgCl2 and Pd(COD)Cl-2 are described. The reaction of selenoether 3 with HgCl2 affords the expected complex R2SeHgCl2 (5), which is stable in solution. In contrast, the analogous tellurium complex R2TeHgCl2 (6) undergoes slow dismutation in chlorinated solvents to give the fragments RTeCl (7) and RHgCl (8).