The titano
cene vinylidene intermediate[Cp*
2Ti=C=CH
2] (
6)(Cp*: C
5(CH
3)
5), formedbyethene or methane elimination fromCp*
2TiCH
2CH
2C=CH
2(
5) andCp*
2Ti(CH=CH
2)(CH
3)(
7), respe
ctively, rea
cts with 1,3-diynes RC
C-C
CR (R= Me (
13a), Ph (
13b), SiMe
3(
13c),CMe
3 (
13d)) by a [2 + 2]-
cy
cloaddition,giving metalla
cy
clobutenesCp*
2TiC(C
CR)=CRC=CH
2(
9a-
d). Using the unsymmetri
cal 1,3-diyneRC
CC
CR
1 (R = CMe
3, R
1 =SiMe
3 (
13e)), a9:1 mixture of the metalla
cy
clobutenesCp*
2TiC(C
CR)=CR
1C=CH
2(
9e) and Cp*
2TiC(C
CR
1)=CRC=CH
2 (
9e')is formed. In all
cases, ex
clusive formation of oneregioisomerexhibiting the C
CR substituent in the
chars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-position of themetalla
cy
cle is observed. Theregiosele
ctivity of the formation of
9 is attributed to thepolarity of the C
C bond as well asthe stereo
chemi
cal
conditions, proven by
ab initiocal
culations at the Hartree-Fo
ck (HF)level of theory with the 3-21G(*) standard basis set and mole
cularmodeling. The X-raystru
cture of
9c is presented. Subsequent rea
ctions of
9 with an ex
cess of the titano
ceneintermediate
6, to form binu
clear metalla
cy
cles, are notobserved.