title: Competitive ArC-H and ArC-X (X = Cl, Br) activation in halobenzenes at cationic titanium centers.
abstract: The titanium methyl cation [Cp*((tBu3P=N)TiCH3]+ [B(C6F5)4]- reacts rapidly with H2 to give the analogous cationic hydride [Cp*((tBu3P=N)TiH(THF)n]+ [B(C6F5)4]- (n = 0, 1), which can be trapped and isolated as its THF adduct 1 x THF (n = 1). When generated in the presence of chloro or bromobenzene, 1 undergoes C-X activation or ortho-C-H activation, depending on the amount of dihydrogen present in the reaction medium. At approximately 4 atm of H2, C-X activation is preferred, giving the halocations [Cp*((tBu3P= N)TiX]+ [B(C6F5)4]- (2X) and C6H6/biphenyl mixtures. At lower pressures of H2 (>1 atm), the beta-halophenyl cations [Cp*((tBu3P=N)Ti(2-X-C6H4)]+ [B(C6F5)4]- (3X) are the products isolated. In the absence of H2, these compounds are quite thermally stable, but undergo beta-halogen elimination upon moderate heating, to give 2X (approximately 20%) and compounds 4X which are the result of reaction between 2X and benzyne via addition of the benzyne C-C triple bond across the Ti-N bond of the phosphinimide ligand. Thus, three separate bond activation processes are operative in this system: direct C-X activation, ortho-C-H activation, and indirect C-X activation via beta-halogen elimination. Mechanistic studies on all three processes have been done and support a radical pathway for direct C-X cleavage, sigma-bond metathesis of the ortho-C-H bond of eta(1)-coordinated C6H5X, and beta-halogen elimination from base-free compound 3X.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4.
authors.forename: Kuangbiao
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Warren E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Piers
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parvez