Hybrid scorpionate/cyclopentadienyl titanium and zirconium complexes with alkoxide and imido ligands

The reactivity of hybrid scorpionate/cyclopentadienyl ligand-containing trichloride zirconium complexes [ZrCl3(bpzcp)] (1) [bpzcp = 2,2-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,1-diphenylethylcyclopentadienyl] and [ZrCl3(bpztcp)] (2) [bpztcp = 2,2-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1-tert-butylethylcyclopentadienyl] toward several lithium alkoxides has been carried out. Thus, alkoxide-containing complexes [ZrCl2(OR)(bpzcp)] (R = Me, 3; Et, 4; iPr, 5; (R)-2-Bu, 6), [ZrCl2(OR)(bpztcp)] (R = Me, 7; Et, 8; iPr, 9; (R)-2-Bu, 10) and [Zr(OR)3(bpztcp)] (R = Et, 11; iPr, 12) were prepared by deprotonation of the appropriate alcohol group with BunLi followed by reaction with 1 or 2. In addition, the imido-complex [Ti(NtBu)Cl(bpztcp)(py)] (13) were also prepared. The structures of these complexes have been proposed on basis of spectroscopic and DFT methods.