Titanium and zirconium complexes that contain a tridentate bis(phenolato) ligand of the [OOO]-type

Abstract The oxygen-linked bis(phenol) 2-oxapropanediyl-1,3-bis(2-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol), [OOO]H2, was prepared in good yield by the condensation of 2-tert-butyl-6-hydroxymethyl-4-methylphenol at 155 °C. This bis(phenol) reacted cleanly with titanium tetrachloride to give the orange titanium dichloro complex [OOO]TiCl2 in virtually quantitative yield. The solubility in pentane indicates a monomeric structure for [OOO]TiCl2 in solution. The reaction of titanium tetra(isopropoxide) gave the di(isopropoxy) complex [OOO]Ti(OiPr)2 which also adopts a monomeric structure of C2v-symmetry in solution. The reaction of the dichloro complex [OOO]TiCl2 with benzyl Grignard reagent in diethyl ether …