N-N bond cleavage in diazoalkanes with a titanium alkylidene

The titanium alkylidene-triflate complex (PNP)TiCHtBu(OTf) was found to promote N-N bond cleavage of 9-diazofluorene and ditolyldiazomethane to give the imido complexes, (PNP)TiN[C13H9](OTf) (1) and (PNP)TiN[CHtolyl2](OTf) (2), along with free NCtBu. A mechanism to the N-N bond cleavage of the diazoarylalkane is presented.