Synthesis and crystal structures of three four-membered ring compounds containing PN2Ti skeletons

Depending on the reaction conditions, Ph2P(NSiMe3)[N(SiMe3)2]reacts with TiCl4 to form the titanadiazaphosphetidines Ph2P[µ-N(SiMe3)]2TiCl3MeCN (1) and Ph2P[µ-N(SiMe3)]2TiCl2,[NPPh2N(SiMe3)2](2). Compound (1) dimerises slowly in solution with elimination of Me3SiCl to yield a tricyclic system containing a central Ti2N2 ring (3). X-Ray analyses of these compounds show (1) and (3) to be monoclinic, space group P21/n, while (2) is triclinic, space group P. Compound (2) has a Ti–N–P angle of 170.3(7)° and a short exocyclic Ti–N bond of 179.2(9) pm.