Until about thirty years ago, tellurium, the fourth of the oxygen family of the periodic table, was practically unknown in organic chemistry books. The many classes of organotellurium compounds, described in the chemical literature in the first half of this century, were little more than chemical curiosities. However, over the decades, tellurium reagents have become unique and powerful chemical tools.

Research groups all over the world now employ tellurium in organic transformations, and new uses of tellurium reagents in synthesis appear regularly.

The main purpose of this book is to help the practitioner to prepare selected inorganic tellurium reagents and organotellurium compounds, and to apply these reagents in organic synthesis. It discusses in detail the most significant reactions performed with tellurium reagents, including selective oxidation, selective reductions, the removal of protein groups and organotellurides as carbon radical scavengers, all under very mild conditions.