The asymmetric
ansa-ligand precursors (C
5Me
4H)SiMe
2(C
5H
4R) (R = H (
1), Me (
2), SiMe
3(
3),
iPr (
4)) and their lithium derivatives [Me
2Si(C
5Me
4)(C
5H
3R)]Li
2 (R = H (
5), Me (
6), SiMe
3(
7),
iPr (
8)) have been prepared. The
ansa-niobocene imido complexes [Me
2Si(
5-C
5Me
4)(
5-C
5H
3R)]Nb(=N
tBu)Cl (R = H (
9), Me (
10), SiMe
3 (
11),
iPr (
12)) were synthesized by thereaction of Nb(=N
tBu)Cl
3(py)
2 with [Me
2Si(C
5Me
4)(C
5H
3R)]Li
2 in THF. The
ansa-zirconocenecomplexes [Me
2Si(
5-C
5Me
4)(
5-C
5H
3R)]ZrCl
2 (R = H (
13), Me (
14), SiMe
3 (
15),
iPr (
16)) wereprepared by the reaction of ZrCl
4 and the corresponding lithiated
ansa-derivative. Themolecular structures of
10,
12,
13, and
14 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffractionstudies. Preliminary results for the catalytic activity of
13-
16 in the polymerization ofethylene are reported.