Irregular cyclization reactions in titanocenes bearing pendant double bonds

Reduction of methyl-substituted titanocene dichlorides bearing pendant double bonds TiCl₂{η⁵-C₅Me₄(CH₂CMeCH₂)}₂] (1) and TiCl₂{η⁵-C₅Me₄(SiMe₂(CH₂)₂CHCH₂)}₂] (2) with magnesium yielded diamagnetic Ti(IV) compound Ti{η¹:η¹:η⁵-C₅Me₃(CH₂)(CH₂CH(Me)CH₂)}{η⁵-C₅Me₄(CH₂C(Me)CH₂)}] (4) and paramagnetic Ti(III) compound Ti{η⁵-C₅Me₄(SiMe₂CH₂CHCHMe)}(μ-η³,η¹:η⁵,η¹(Ti:Mg){C₅Me₃(CH₂)(SiMe₂CHCHCMe)})Mg(OC₄H₈)₂] (6), respectively. The reluctance of titanocene intermediates to undergo intramolecular cyclization to cyclopentadienyl-ring-tethered titanacycles (as typically observed) can be explained by a shortness of the 2-methylallyl group and steric hindrance of its double bond in the former case and, in the latter case, by an attack of magnesium on the titanocene intermediate, faster than cyclization reactions. The crystal structures of 4 and 6 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.