Sodium telluride (Na₂Te) is an inorganic compound composed of the elements tellurium and sodium, which exists in the form of white powder or crystals. This substance belongs to the alkali metal telluride and is similar in nature to selenide. Sodium telluride is soluble in water and can crystallize out of solution, but it has a strong tendency to hydrolyze. When sodium telluride encounters water, moist air, or alcohols, a hydrolysis reaction occurs to produce sodium tellurium hydride and sodium hydroxide. In addition, sodium telluride is a strong reducing agent and is a good semiconductor.

Sodium telluride is a versatile inorganic compound that has a wide range of applications in different fields. Here are some of the main uses of sodium telluride:

1. Preparation of semiconductor materials: Sodium telluride can be used to grow semiconductor crystals, which have important applications in the electronics industry, especially in the production of infrared detectors and optoelectronic devices.

2. Infrared optics: Due to its specific semiconductor properties, sodium telluride is used in the manufacture of certain types of optics that are very important in the field of infrared technology.

3. Organic synthesis: In organic chemistry, sodium telluride is used as an important reagent for the synthesis of tellurium-based organic compounds. It is also used as a catalyst, especially in the condensation reaction of α-halogenated ketones, α-haloesters, and α-halogenated nitriles with arynaldehydes.

4. Chemical Analysis: Due to its strong reducing properties, sodium telluride is used as a reducing agent in chemical analysis, especially in those reactions that require strong reducing conditions.

5. Materials Science: In the field of materials science, sodium telluride is used in the preparation of other important tellurides, such as copper telluride and zinc telluride, which have important applications in the field of semiconductors and infrared materials.

6. Thermoelectric materials: Although sodium telluride itself is not a major thermoelectric material, it can be used in synthesis or as a component in the synthesis of other thermoelectric materials, such as lead telluride.