Alkyne Hydroamination and Trimerization with Titanium Bis(phenolate)pyridine Complexes: Evidence for Low-Valent Titanium Intermediates and Synthesis of an Ethylene Adduct of Titanium(II)

A class of titanium precatalysts of the type (ONO)TiX2 (ONO = pyridine-2,6-bis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenolate); X = Bn, NMe2) has been synthesized and crystallographically characterized. The (ONO)TiX2 (X = Bn, NMe2, X2 = NPh) complexes are highly active precatalysts for the hydroamination of internal alkynes with primary arylamines and some alkylamines. A class of titanium imido/ligand adducts, (ONO)Ti(L)(NR) (L = HNMe2, py; R = Ph, tBu), have also been synthesized and characterized and provide structural analogues to intermediates on the purported catalytic cycle. Furthermore, these complexes exhibit unusual redox behavior. (ONO)TiBn2 (1) promotes the cyclotrimerization of electron-rich alkynes, likely via a catalytically active TiII species that is generated in situ from 1. Depending on reaction conditions, these TiII species are proposed to be generated through Ti benzylidene or imido intermediates. A formally TiII complex, (ONO)Ti II(η2-C2H4)(HNMe2) (7), has been prepared and structurally characterized. © 2013 American Chemical Society.