Coordination chemistry of cyclic disilylated stannylenes and plumbylenes to group 4 metallocenes.

Reduction of group 4 metallocene dichlorides with magnesium in the presence of cyclic disilylated stannylene or plumbylene phosphine adducts yielded the respective metallocene tetrylene phosphine complexes. Under the same conditions the use of the respective dimerized stannylene or plumbylene gave metallocene ditetrylene complexes. A computational analysis of these reactions revealed for all investigated compounds multiple-bonded character for the M-E(II) linkage, which can be rationalized in the case of the monotetrylene complex with the classical σ-donor/π-acceptor interaction. The strength of the M-E(II) bond increases descending group 4 and decreases going from Sn to its heavier congener Pb. The weakness of the Ti-E(II) bonds is caused by the significantly reduced ability of the titanium atom for d-p π-back-bonding.