H2Te

Hydrogen telluride (H2Te) is a dihydrogen telluride, the heavier hydride of tellurium. It is a colorless, highly volatile and highly toxic gas at room temperature. It belongs to the family of hydrogen chalcogenides, analogous to H2S and H2Se, but with tellurium at the center.

The molecule has a bent geometry with the tellurium atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms; the H–Te–H angle is near 90–95 degrees, and tellurium carries two lone pairs of electrons. In solution or under specific conditions, H2Te can behave as a weak Brønsted acid and can participate in redox and coordination chemistry, but its chemistry is limited by its instability and toxicity.

H2Te is not known to occur naturally and is primarily prepared in controlled laboratory contexts. It is typically generated in situ and handled under strictly inert or protective conditions because it readily decomposes with heat or exposure to air, liberating hydrogen gas and leaving elemental tellurium.

In practice, H2Te is of interest mainly to researchers studying tellurium chemistry and as a reactive precursor for the synthesis of tellurium-containing compounds and materials. Due to its extreme toxicity and the limited availability of tellurium, there are no commercial-scale applications.