Activation of small molecules by titanocene(II) and zirconocene(II) complexes.

Abstract:
Reactivity of thermally stable monomeric titanocenes(TiII) towards dihydrogen, dinitrogen, sulfur or phosphorus, alkylsilylhydrides, borohydrides, and simple alkenes and alkynes. Hydrogenations at low-to-moderate pressure will be established carried out for titanocene and zirconocene compounds containing sigma-Ti-C terminal, sigma-Ti-C cyclopentadienyl ring-tethered, and pi-Ti-C (back bonding) bonds in order to determine their susceptibility to hydrogenolysis and to synthesize structurally new complexes. The titanocene and zirconocene [M(C5H5-nMen)2(bis(trimethylsilyl)ethyne)] (n = 0-5) complexes will be investigated as catalysts for dimerization of terminal alkynes, and hydroamination of alkynes and alkenes. Analogously, the series of titanocenes or zirconocenes at the onset of their formation will be stabilized by ethene or other unsaturated hydrocarbons to examine their utilization in organometallic synthesis and catalysis.