Nitrogen–nitrogen multiple bond cleavage and reduction in diphenyldiazomethane and azobenzene by a titanium (III) complex

Diphenyldiazomethane reacted with [cpTiCl2]n(cp =η=η5-C5H5) forming a dinuclear complex, [(cpTiCl)2(µ-Ph2CN2)2], in which two titanium atoms are doubly bridged by a hydrazzonido (2–) ligand; a related dimeric complex containing the (cpTiCl) unit bridged by both a hydrazo (2–) and a phenylnitrene ligand, [(cpTiCl)2(µ-PhN)(µ-Ph2N2)], was formed from the reaction of [cpTiCl2]n with azobenzene.