Adducts of Sterically Hindered Tellurium Catecholate with N-Methylpyrrolidone

The formation of adducts of tellurium(IV) 3,6-di-tert-butyl catecholate (Te(Cat36)2) with N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) is studied. The crystallization from a CH2Cl2–NMP–aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is found to result in the formation of dimeric complexes [{Te(Cat36)2}2(μ-NMP)(μ-arene)] (arene = C6H6, C7H8), whereas mononuclear [Te(Cat36)2(NMP)2] is formed from a CH2Cl2–NMP–alkane mixture. The formation of the adducts with aromatic hydrocarbons indicates a possibility of using the tellurium complexes for the separation of hydrocarbon mixtures, including an industrially important benzene–cyclohexane mixture.