TRANSITION METAL CHEMISTRY, vol.31, no.6, pp.786-791, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)
Titanium tetra-n-butoxide, [Ti(OCH2CH2CH2CH3)(4); Ti(OBun)(4)] was reacted with some unsaturated mono- and di-carboxylic acids such as t-cinnamic acid (TCA; C6H6CH=CHCOOH), maleic acid (MA; HOOCCH=CHCOOH) and itaconic acid [ITA; HOOCCH2C(=CH2)COOH]. Complexation ratios of the complexes (mol of the acid per Ti atom in the complexes) were determined by FTIR spectroscopy. The structure of the complexes was supported by the C-13-n.m.r., H-1-n.m.r. and FTIR spectra. It was observed that MA, ITA and TCA behave as bidendate ligands. MA and ITA are dicarboxylic acids that complexed with Ti(OBun)(4) in a 2:1 mol ratio (Ti:MA and Ti:ITA). TCA is a monocarboxylic acid which was complexed with Ti(OBun)(4) with a mol ratio of 1:1 (Ti:TCA). Hydrolysis reactions of these complexes were performed by Karl-Fischer titration. The hydrolysis reaction rate of the modified Ti(OBun)(4) was reduced with complexation by these carboxylic acids.