Titanium carbene complexes as useful tools in organic synthesis.

Various titanium carbene complexes are prepared by the reductive titanation of thioacetals, gem-dihalides, and related organosulfur and organohalogen compounds with the titanocene(II) reagent Cp(2)TiP(OEt)(3). Alkylidene-, heteroatom-substituted methylidene-, 2-alkenylidene-, 2-alkynylidene-, and vinylidene-titanocenes thus formed are highly reactive toward organic compounds bearing a multiple bond and are employed for a variety of organic transformations such as carbonyl olefination and olefin metathesis.