Phospha(III)guanidinate complexes of titanium(IV) and zirconium(IV) amides

Two procedures for the synthesis of group 4 phosphaguanidine compounds M(R2PC{NR′}2)(NR″2)3 (M = Ti, Zr; R = Ph, Cy; R′ = iPr, Cy; R″ = Me, Et) are described. Spectroscopic characterization indicated symmetrical bonding of the phosphaguanidinate ligand in solution for the P-diphenyl derivatives whereas the P-dicyclohexyl analogs adopt a more rigid geometry with inequivalent N amidine substituents within the phosphaguanidinate ligand. X-ray diffraction studies show exclusively monomeric tbp metal centers for a series of derivatives, with a chelating phosphaguanidinate ligand that spans an axial and an equatorial position. Two different conformers have been identified in the solid-state that differ in the relative orientation of the phosphorus R 2P?C substituents with respect to the equatorial plane of the tbp metal. The synthetic protocol was extended to the bimetallic complex, [PhP(C{NiPr}2Ti{NMe2}3)CH 2?]2, which was characterized by crystallography as the meso-form.