Reaction of acrylonitrile with halides of titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, and copper

Acrylonitrile forms complexes with a number of transition-metal halides in which the bonding is through the nitrogen atom rather than the double bond. Complexes isolated fall into three main categories: MX5,C2H3CN (for M = Nb or Ta; X = Cl or Br); MX4,2C2H3CN (for MX4= TiCl4, ZrCl4, NbCl4, TaCl4, NbBr4, or TaBr4); MX3,3C2H3CN (for MX3= TiBr3 or VBr3). Reaction of acrylonitrile with other complexes of titanium and vanadium (TiCl3,3MeCN, TiCl3,3C4H8O, and VCl3,3MeCN) gave mixed complexes, TiCl3,MeCN,2C2H3CN, TiCl3,2C4H8O,-C2H3CN, and VCl3,2MeCN,C2H3CN. The magnetic and spectroscopic properties of the complexes are consistent with six-co-ordinate structures.Copper(II) chloride reacted to give 3CuCl2,2C2H3CN. Although VCl4 gave a simple adduct at low temperatures, reduction to the tervalent state occurred readily, especially in the light.