Tellurium compounds

The dihalides have not been obtained in pure form,[3]: 274  although they are known decomposition products of the tetrahalides in organic solvents, and the derived tetrahalotellurates are well-characterized: where X is Cl, Br, or I.

[14] Despite their similarities to sulfo-selenide anions, the thiotellurates are not catenation products; instead, the sulfur ligands coordinate to the tellurium as heavier congeners to a tellurate.

When tellurium is treated with concentrated sulfuric acid, the result is a red solution of the Zintl ion, Te2+4.

[5] Tellurium does not readily form analogues of alcohols and thiols, with the functional group –TeH, that are called tellurols.

Recently, physicists and materials scientists have been discovering unusual quantum properties associated with layered compounds composed of tellurium that's combined with certain rare-earth elements, as well as yttrium (Y).

[19] These novel materials have the general formula of R Te3, where "R " represents a rare-earth lanthanide (or Y), with the full family consisting of R = Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er & Tm (not yet observed are compounds containing Pm, Eu, Yb & Lu).

[19] It is thought that this 2-D layered structure is what leads to a number of interesting quantum features, such as charge-density waves, high carrier mobility, superconductivity under specific conditions, and other peculiar properties whose natures are only now emerging.

[19] For example, in 2022, a small group of physicists at Boston College in Massachusetts led an international team that used optical methods to demonstrate a novel axial mode of a Higgs-like particle in R Te3 compounds that incorporate either of two rare-earth elements (R = La, Gd).

[20] This long-hypothesized, axial, Higgs-like particle also shows magnetic properties and may serve as a candidate for dark matter.