Isolation of stable enantiomerically pure telluroxides and their stereochemistry

Optical resolution of kinetically and thermodynamically stabilized diaryl telluroxides possessing bulky substituents (rac-1a-d) and amino group (rac-2a-c), respectively, by liquid chromatography using optically active columns yielded stable enantiomerically pure telluroxides. The absolute configurations of the optically active telluroxides were determined by comparing their specific rotations and CD spectra with those of sulfur or selenium analogues. The kinetics for the racemization of optically active telluroxides in solution was studied, and it was found that kinetic and thermodynamic stabilization were very effective preventing the racemization of telluroxides. The stabilization energy of telluroxides by intramolecular coordination of the amino group to the tellurium atom was estimated to be ca. 5 kcal mol-1 by variable temperature 1H NMR measurement. The mechanism for the racemization of optically active telluroxides was studied by an isotope experiment using H2(18)O, and the results indicated that optically active telluroxides underwent racemization via an achiral tetracoordinated hydrate.