Abstract: This invention constitutes a method of preparing molecular and supramolecular aromatic organic telluride, ditelluride, diselenide and selenide compounds from aromatic halogen compounds which are unactivated toward nucleophilic substitution. The method involves the reaction of an aromatic halide with an alkali metal telluride, ditelluride, selenide or diselenide reagent formed from chalcogen and alkali metal trialkylborohydride to yield the corresponding molecular or polymeric aromatic telluride, ditelluride, selenide or diselenide. Further, the alkali metal chalcogenide reagent prepared from alkali metal trialkylborohydrides may also be used to synthesize molecular and polymeric olefinic tellurides and selenides from olefinic halides unactivated toward nucleophilic substitution.