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Low-valent titanium species were prepared by reaction of [TiCp*X3] (Cp* = eta5-C5Me5; X = Cl, Br, Me) with LiEH4 (E = Al, B) or BH3(thf), and their structures elucidated by experimental and theoretical methods. The treatment of trihalides [TiCp*X3] with LiAlH4 in ethereal solvents (L) leads to the hydride-bridged heterometallic complexes [{TiCp*(mu-H)}2{(mu-H)2AlX(L)}2] (L = thf, X = Cl, Br; L = OEt2, X = Cl). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for those compounds reveal an open-shell singlet ground state with a Ti-Ti bond and can be described as titanium(II) species. The theoretical analyses also show strong interactions between the Ti-Ti bond and the empty s orbitals of the Al atom of the AlH2XL fragments, which behave as sigma-accepting (Z-type) ligands. Analogous reactions of [TiCp*X3] with LiBH4 (2 and 3 equiv) in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature and at 85 ºC lead to the titanium(III) compounds [{TiCp*(BH4)(mu-X)}2] (X = Cl, Br) and [{TiCp*(BH4)(mu-BH4)}2], respectively. The treatment of [TiCp*Me3] with 4 and 5 equiv of BH3(thf) produces the diamagnetic [{TiCp*(BH3Me)}2(mu-B2H6)] and paramagnetic [{TiCp*(mu-B2H6)}2] complexes, respectively., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Universidad de Alcalá

A highly efficient and straightforward aminoxylation of titanium(IV) enolates from (S)-N-acyl-4-benzyl-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones with TEMPO has been developed. A wide array of functional groups on the acyl moiety, including alkyl and aryl substituents, olefins, esters, or a-cyclopropyl, as well as a-trifluoromethyl groups, are well tolerated. This transformation can therefore produce the a-aminoxylated adducts in excellent yields with high diastereomeric ratios (d.r.). In turn, parallel additions to the a,b-unsaturated N-acyl counterparts give the corresponding g-adducts with complete regioselectivity in moderate to good yields. Removal of the piperidinyl moiety or the chiral auxiliary converts the resultant adducts into enantiomerically pure a-hydroxy carboxyl derivatives, alcohols, or esters in high yields under mild conditions. Finally, a new mechanistic model based on the biradical character of the titanium(IV) enolates has been proposed.