Abstract: Various halogen compounds were effectively reduced by sodium hydrogen telluride in aqueous solution or ethanol under mild conditions and in good yields, particularly when a molecule contains other groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl, ester and benzyl.The typical process occurred with a stbichiometric amount or a catalytic amount of tellurium. The mechanism may be envisaged that nucleophilic attack of hydrogen telluride ion (HTe^-) on the a-car-bon atoms could lead to the leaving of the halogen from a-carbon atoms.

Key words: Halogen compound, Catalytic amount of tellurium, Dehalogenation reduction