Chemistry Supported by Preorganized Binucleating Ligands: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Dititanium(III) μ-Methyl μ-Hydrido Species

Binucleating bis(amidinate) ligands based on a 9,9-dimethylxanthene backbone have been used to prepare new dititanium(IV) complexes of the general formula [bis(amidinate)]Ti 2 Cp 2 R 4 (R = CH 3, 13 CH 3, CD 3 ). Reaction of these methyl derivatives with H 2 affords the dititanium(III) μ-methyl μ-hydrido derivatives [bis(amidinate)]Ti 2 Cp 2 (μ-R)(μ-H) (R = CH 3, 13 CH 3, CD 3 ), which have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR and IR spectroscopy. These complexes are rare examples of first-row-transition-metal alkyl hydrido species.