LAUSR

The complex (μ-Me2C-3,3′){(η5-cyclopentadienyl)[1-Me2Si-(tBuN)](TiMe2)}2 (3) was prepared as a new binuclear catalyst motif for homogeneous olefin polymerization. Complex 3 exists as rac-3 and meso-3 diastereomers, which can be separated and characterized by solution NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. While meso-3 has high thermal stability, rac-3 undergoes thermolysis in solution to quantitatively form the dimeric methylidene complex (μ-Me2C-3,3′){(η5-cyclopentadienyl)[1-Me2Si(tBuN)][(μ-CH2)Ti]}2 (rac-4). Activation of rac-3 and meso-3 with 1 equiv of Ph3C+B(C6F5)4– yields [(μ-CMe2-3,3′){(η5-cyclopentadienyl)[1-Me2Si(tBuN)]}2(μ-CH2)(μ-CH3)Ti2]+B(C6F5)4– (5; rac-5 and meso-5, respectively). Interestingly, meso-5 is stable in the presence of an additional 1 equiv of Ph3C+B(C6F5)4–, while rac-5 reacts to yield rac-[(μ-CMe2-3,3′){(η5-cyclopentadienyl)[1-Me2Si(tBuN)]}2(μ-CH2)[(TiCH3)(Ti-η1-Ph3C)]2+[B(C6F5)4–]2 (rac-6) as indicated by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and DFT computation. meso-...