The electrochemical behavior of diphenylditelluride, phi(2)Te(2), at a hanging mercury drop electrode has been studied in an aqueous-ethanol solution at pH 7 by means of cyclic and ac voltammetry. The appearance of two cathodic peaks has been attributed to the reversible reduction of the first and all the successive monolayers of a film of phi Te-Hg, which is formed by adsorption Of phi(2)Te(2) at the mercury/solution interface. The different electrochemical properties of such monolayers have been explained. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.