Reactions of β,β′-dichlorodiethyl ether with elemental chalcogens and dimethyl dichalcogenides in the system hydrazine hydrate-base

β,β′-Dichlorodiethyl ether reacted with elemental selenium or tellurium, as well as with binary chalcogen mixtures (S/Se, S/Te, or Se/Te), activated in the system hydrazine hydrate-base to give oligomeric products containing oxygen and polychalcogenide fragments in the chain. Reductive cleavage of these oligomers gave rise to 3-oxapentane-1,5-dichalcogenols and their methyl derivatives. The latter were also synthesized from β,β′-dichlorodiethyl ether and the corresponding dimethyl dichalcogenides in the system hydrazine hydrate-KOH.