Structural chemistry of bimetallic hydride complexes of titanium and aluminium: I. Crystal and molecular structure of [(η5-C5H5)2,Ti(μ-H)2AlH2]2(CH3)2NCH2CH2N(CH3)2C6H6

The structure of a titanium aluminium hydride complex of composition [(C₅H₅)₂TiAlH₄]₂(CH₃)₂NC₂H₄N(CH₃)₂C₆H₆ has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The complex forms triclinic crystals with unit cell dimensions a = 8.406(2), b = 10.117(2), c = 11.269(3) Å; α = 112.01(2)°, β = 109.25(2)°, γ = 87.04(2)°, space group P$\text{1}$, Z = 2 and density d = 1.21 g/cm³. The structure was refined to give a discrepancy index R = 0.056. The crystals are composed of centrosymmetric molecules of (Cp₂TiAlH₄)₂TMEDA (Cp = η⁵-cyclopentadienyl) and molecules of crystal benzene. Two moieties of Cp₂TiH₂AlH₂ are linked by a tetramethylethylenediamine molecule (r_AlN 2.11 Å). The aluminium atom is bonded to a titanium atom by a double hydride bridge (r_AlH b = 1.8, 1.6 Å, r_TiH b = 1.6 Å), and has trigonal bipyramidal stereochemistry, [H₄N] (r_AlH t = 1.6 Å).