Research news, Feb. 13th, 2014.

 Reaction of Titanacyclobutene-Silacyclobutene Fused-Ring Complexes with Nitriles via Formal Insertion of the C-N Triple Bond of Nitrile into the Silacyclobutene Ring

Jing Zhao, Shaoguang Zhang, Wen-Xiong Zhang,* and Zhenfeng Xi*

Organometallics 2014, 33, 8−11

The reaction of titanacyclobutene-silacyclobutene fused-ring complexes with nitriles was investigated. Formal insertion of the C-N triple bond of nitriles into the silacyclobutene ring was observed, affording their corresponding titanacyclobutene and six-membered azasilacycle fused-ring complexes. This reaction pattern with nitriles is totally different from that of their analogue zirconacyclobutene-silacyclobutene fused-ring complexes. The size effect of the central metals (Ti vs Zr) is considered as the major reason for the different reaction pattern.