SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MONONUCLEAR TITANIUM COMPLEXES CONTAINING A BIS(PHENOXY) LIGAND DERIVED FROM 2,2'-METHYLENE-BIS(6-TERT-BUTYL-4-METHYLPHENOL)

A series of new titanium complexes of the general type Ti(mbmp)X(2) (X = Br, I; OMe, OiPr, OtBu), containing a bidentate bis(phenoxy) ligand derived from 2,2'-methylenebis(6-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol) (mbmpH(2)), was prepared. The H-1-chemical shifts for the protons of the methylene link were found to vary considerably as a function of the ligand X. Reaction of Ti(OiPr)(4) with two equivalents of mbmpH(2) gave the C-2-symmetric spiro-titanate complex Ti(mbmp)(2). The crystalline labile solvent adducts of the dichloro complex Ti(mbmp)Cl-2 with THF and DME were isolated and characterized. A single-crystal X-ray structural analysis revealed the THF adduct to be a mono(THF) adduct with a trigonal-bipyramidal configuration, the bidentate mbmp Ligand spanning an apical and equatorial site and the THF ligand occupying the remaining apical position.