Novel group 4b ansa-metallocene complexes with the shortest bridge: [1,1′-isopropylydene-3,3′-di-t.Bu-bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)] Ti and Zr dichlorides

Abstract Reaction of [1,1′-isopropylidene-3,3′-di-tert.butyl-bis(η5-cyclopentadienide)] dilithium with TiCl3, followed by treatment with HCl, and ZrCl4 in various solvent mixtures in the temperature range 0–50°C gives corresponding ansa-metallocene dichlorides as mixtures of the anti/syn-isomers, 1:1. The crystal and molecular structures of three of the four isomers were determined, i.e. rac(anti)-[1,1′-isopropylidene-3,3′-di-tert.butyl-bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)]TiCl2, space group B2/b, rac(anti)-[1,1′-isopropylidene-3,3′-di-tert.butyl-bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)]ZrCl2, space group P212121, and meso(syn)-1,1′-[isopropylidene-3,3′-di-tert.butyl-bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)]ZrCl2, space group P21/n.