Reactivity of Group 4 Metal Alkyl and Metallacyclic Compounds Supported by Aryloxide Ligands Toward Organic Isocyanides

The reactivity of the dimethyl compound [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)2Me2] (1) and titanabicyclic compounds [(ArO)2Ti(CH2CH(C4H8)CHCH2)] (6, 7) (formed by trans-coupling of 1,7-octadiene) toward organic isocyanides has been investigated. Dimethyl 1 reacts with 1 equiv of 2,6-dimethylphenylisocyanide (xyNC) to produce a cyclometalated product [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)(OC6H3Ph-η1-C6H4){N(xy)CHMe2}] (2), which was structurally characterized. Compound 2 is believed to arise via CH bond activation within an intermediate η2-imine (azatitanacyclopropane) formed by transfer of both methyl groups to the isocyanide. With an excess of xyNC, 1 produces an intermediate bis(η2-iminoacyl) 4, which slowly converts to the enediamide [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)2{N(xy)CMeCMeN(xy)}] (5). The solid-state structure of 5 shows the presence of a folded diazatitanacyclopent-3-ene ring formed by intramolecular coupling of the two iminoacyl groups. Titanabicyclic compounds 6 and 7 react with ButNC and xyNC respectively to generate products 8 and 9, which both contain amide ligands derived by CH bond activation and an iminoacyl group formed by insertion into the new Ti−C bond. The solid-state structure of [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6){OC6H3Ph-(η2-(C6H4)CNBut)}{ButNCH(C8H14)}] (8) shows a trans-fusion between the five- and six-membered carbon rings as found in the initial titanabicycle 6. The treatment of 1 with xyNC in the presence of excess 3-hexyne or styrene produces azatitanacyclopent-2-ene 10 and azatitanacyclopentane 11 derivatives, respectively. These arise via coupling of the alkyne or olefin with an intermediate η2-imine. The solid-state structure of [Ti(OC6H3Ph2-2,6)2{N(xy)C(Me2)C(Et)C(Et)}] (10) confirms its formulation.