Synthesis and Reactivity of Boron‐, Silicon‐, and Tin‐Bridged ansa‐Cyclopentadienyl–Cycloheptatrienyl Titanium Complexes (Troticenophanes)

A novel one‐pot method was developed for the preparation of [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₅)(η⁷‐C₇H₇)] (troticene, 1 ) by reaction of sodium cyclopentadienide (NaCp) with [TiCl₄(thf)₂], followed by reduction of the intermediate [(η⁵‐C₅H₅)₂TiCl₂] with magnesium in the presence of cycloheptatriene (C₇H₈). The [n]troticenophanes 3 (n=1), 4 , 8 , 10 (n=2), and 11 (n=3) were synthesized by salt elimination reactions between dilithiated troticene, [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄Li)(η⁷‐C₇H₆Li)] ? pmdta ( 2 ) (pmdta=N,N′,N′,N′′,N′′‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine), and the appropriate organoelement dichlorides Cl₂Sn(Mes)₂ (Mes=2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl), Cl₂Sn₂(tBu)₄, Cl₂B₂(NMe₂)₂, Cl₂Si₂Me₄, and (ClSiMe₂)₂CH₂, respectively. Their structural characterization was carried out by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The stanna[1]‐ and stanna[2]troticenophanes 3 and 4 represent the first heteroleptic sandwich complexes bearing Sn atoms in the ansa bridge. The reaction of 3 with [Pt(PEt₃)₃] resulted in regioselective insertion of the [Pt(PEt₃)₂] fragment into the Sn? C_ipso bond between the tin atom and the seven‐membered ring, which afforded the platinastanna[2]troticenophane 5 . Oxidative addition was also observed upon treatment of 4 with elemental sulfur or selenium, to produce the [3]troticenophanes [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄SntBu₂)(η⁷‐C₇H₆SntBu₂)E] ( 6 : E=S; 7 : E=Se). The B? B bond of the bora[2]troticenophane 8 was readily cleaved by reaction with [Pt(PEt₃)₃] to form the corresponding oxidative addition product [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄BNMe₂)(η⁷‐C₇H₆BNMe₂)Pt(PEt₃)₂] ( 9 ). The solid‐state structures of compounds 5 , 6 , and 9 were also determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.