Ditelluroether ligand bis(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)methane — synthesis, reaction with iodine and its ruthenium(II) complexes. Crystal structures of (4-MeOC6H4Te)2CH2, {4-MeO-C6H4Te(I2)}2CH2 cis-[Ru(DMSO)2Cl2(4-MeOC6H4Te)2CH2] and [(p-cymene)Cl2Ru(μ-{(4-MeOC

The reaction of chloroform with ArTe− Na+ (Ar=4-MeOC6H4), generated in situ by borohydride reduction of Ar2Te2, results in a high purity sample of bis(4-methoxyphenyltelluro)methane (1) (yield ∼90%). Its single crystal structure has been reported. The TeCTe angle is found to be 117(1)°. The oxidative addition of I2 to 1 results in {4-MeO-C6H4Te(I2)}2CH2 (1a), which is also characterized structurally. The iodine atoms at each Te atom occupy axial positions. The two TeI bonds are longer than the other two. The intermolecular contacts of I(2) and I(4) with the neighbouring Te atoms lead to polymeric links of essentially TeITe′I′ rectangular bridges (angles 89.07(3)–94.68(3)°. The complexes of 1 with Ru(II) viz. cis-[Ru(DMSO)2Cl2(4-MeOC6H4Te)2CH2] (2) and [(p-cymene)Cl2Ru(μ-1)RuCl2(p-cymene)] (2a) are synthesized and characterized structurally. The geometry of Ru(II) in the complex 2 is distorted octahedral. (RuTe 2.5988(5)–2.6727(5) Å; Te(1)Ru(1)Te(2)=78.2(2)°; Te(1)Ru(1)Cl(2)=76.6(2)°. The distortions are not shared equally by the two tellurium atoms. The Te(1) displays much larger distortions of cis angles than those involving Te(2). The TeC(aromatic) distances are shorter than TeC(alkyl) bond lengths. The 2a is the first example in which the ligand 1 is shown to coordinate in a bridging mode, i.e. with two Ru atoms (RuTe 2.6381(16)–2.6411(2) Å). The Te(1)CTe(2) angle is 119.3(9)°. Similarly 2 is also the first example that has four membered chelate ring containing Ru and two Te atoms.