Titanium(IV)-mediated conversion of carboxamides to amidines and implications for catalytic transamidation

Cp*-ligated imidotitanium(IV) complexes, CP*TiCl(NR)(py)Cl (R = tBu (5a), PhCH2 (5b), n-C5H11 (5c), p-MeC6H4 (5d), p-MeOC6H4 (5e)), react with tertiary and secondary carboxamides to yield amidines, a result that is in contrast with previously reported titanium-catalyzed transamidation reactions. The tertiary amide dimethylacetamide reacts directly with the imidotitanium(IV) fragment, whereas the secondary amide phenylacetamide forms an amidate adduct, {(eta(C5Me5)-C-5)TiCl[OC(Me)NPh](2)} (10), which undergoes subsequent reaction with exogenous amine.