Reaction of arylhydrazines with diaryl ditellurides in the air: Insight into bimolecular homolytic substitution on tellurium via Aryl–Te bond cleavage

The reactivity of diaryl ditelluride and diaryl telluride toward aryl radicals was studied in detail. Diphenyl ditelluride underwent a bimolecular homolytic substitution (SH2) reaction with a phenyl radical generated from phenylhydrazine in the air, to afford diphenyl telluride in excellent yield. Based on this diphenyl telluride synthesis, a one‐pot synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl tellurides was developed by the SH2 reaction of in situ generated diphenyl telluride with arylhydrazines in the air. The selectivity of mono‐/di‐substitution and the reactivity of arylhydrazines depend on the nature of the substituents on the arylhydrazines, that is, electron‐donating or ‐withdrawing group.