Synthesis and characterization of the binuclear diamido titanium chalcogenides [(Ar)NCH2CH2CH2N(Ar)]2Ti(µ-E)2 (E = Se, Te)

Abstract

Reaction of McConville's chelating amido titanium complex [(Ar)NCH2CH2CH2N(Ar)]Ti(CH3)2 (Ar = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3) with either elemental Se or the tellurium atom source Te=PBu3 resulted in the formation of bis-µ-chalcogenido dimers [(Ar)NCH2CH2CH2N(Ar)]2Ti(µ-E)2 (E = Se, 2; Te, 3) with concommitant loss of EMe2. The dimers 2 and 3 were characterized spectroscopically and via X-ray crystallography. The two compounds are isostructural in the solid state. The tellurido dimer 3 may also be synthesized by reduction of the diamido dichloride [(Ar)NCH2CH2CH2N(Ar)]2TiCl2 with Na–Hg amalgam followed by treatment with Te=PBu3. This dimer is unreactive toward further Te=PBu3 or stannanes such as HSnBu3. Unlike decamethyltitanocene derivatives, the diamido complex is not an effective catalyst precursor for the heterohydrodecoupling of Te=PBu3 and HSnBu3.Key words: diamido titanium complexes, selenides, tellurides.