Synthesis and characterization of titanium tetraisocyanide complexes, [CpTi(CNXyl)4E], E = I, SnPh3, and SnMe3

Oxidation of [CpTi(CO)4]− by I2, Ph3SnCl, and Me3SnCl in the presence of four equivalents of CNXyl, Xyl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl, affords unprecedented titanium tetraisocyanide complexes, [CpTi(CNXyl)4E], E = I, SnPh3, SnMe3. These have been isolated and characterized by spectroscopic methods as well as single-crystal X-ray crystallography. A by-product of the iodine reaction was the Ti(III) complex, [CpTi(CNXyl)2I2], which was also characterized by X-ray crystallography.

Graphical abstractOxidation of the Ti(0) carbonyl anion [CpTi(CO)4]− with I2, Ph3SnCl, and Me3SnCl in the presence of four equivalents of CNXyl, where Xyl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl, affords the first examples of titanium tetraisocyanides, [CpTi(CNXyl)4E], E = I, SnPh3, SnMe3, which have been characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Previously only mono- and bis-isocyanide complexes of the group 4 elements were known.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide