Titanium isopropoxide, also commonly referred to as titanium tetraisopropoxide or TTIP, is a

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

with the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

. This

alkoxide In chemistry, an alkoxide is the conjugate base of an alcohol and therefore consists of an organic group bonded to a negatively charged oxygen atom. They are written as , where R is the organic substituent. Alkoxides are strong bases and, whe ...

of titanium(IV) is used in

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...

and materials science. It is a diamagnetic tetrahedral molecule. Titanium isopropoxide is a component of the

Sharpless epoxidation The Sharpless epoxidation reaction is an enantioselective chemical reaction to prepare 2,3-epoxyalcohols from primary and secondary allylic alcohols. The oxidizing agent is ''tert''-butyl hydroperoxide. The method relies on a catalyst formed fro ...

, a method for the synthesis of chiral epoxides. The structures of the titanium alkoxides are often complex. Crystalline titanium methoxide is

tetramer A tetramer () ('' tetra-'', "four" + '' -mer'', "parts") is an oligomer formed from four monomers or subunits. The associated property is called ''tetramery''. An example from inorganic chemistry is titanium methoxide with the empirical formula ...

ic with the

molecular formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...

. Alkoxides derived from bulkier alcohols such as

isopropyl alcohol Isopropyl alcohol (IUPAC name propan-2-ol and also called isopropanol or 2-propanol) is a colorless, flammable organic compound with a pungent alcoholic odor. As an isopropyl group linked to a hydroxyl group ( chemical formula ) it is the s ...

aggregate less. Titanium isopropoxide is mainly a monomer in nonpolar solvents.

Preparation

It is prepared by treating

titanium tetrachloride Titanium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is an important intermediate in the production of titanium metal and the pigment titanium dioxide. is a volatile liquid. Upon contact with humid air, it forms thick clouds ...

with

isopropanol Isopropyl alcohol (IUPAC name propan-2-ol and also called isopropanol or 2-propanol) is a colorless, flammable organic compound with a pungent alcoholic odor. As an isopropyl group linked to a hydroxyl group (chemical formula ) it is the sim ...

Hydrogen chloride The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula and as such is a hydrogen halide. At room temperature, it is a colourless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric water vapor. Hydrogen chlorid ...

is formed as a coproduct: : TiCl₄ + 4 (CH₃)₂CHOH → Ti₄ + 4 HCl

Properties

Titanium isopropoxide reacts with water to deposit

titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania , is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6 (PW6), or CI 77891. It is a white solid that is insolu ...

: :Ti₄ + 2 H₂O → TiO₂ + 4 (CH₃)₂CHOH This reaction is employed in the sol-gel synthesis of TiO₂-based materials in the form of powders or thin films. Typically water is added in excess to a solution of the alkoxide in an alcohol. The composition, crystallinity and morphology of the inorganic product are determined by the presence of additives (e.g.

acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main componen ...

), the amount of water (hydrolysis ratio), and reaction conditions. The compound is also used as a catalyst in the preparation of certain cyclopropanes in the Kulinkovich reaction. Prochiral thioethers are oxidized enantioselectively using a catalyst derived from Ti(O-''i''-Pr)₄.

Naming

Titanium(IV) isopropoxide is a widely used item of commerce and has acquired many names in addition to those listed in the table. A sampling of the names include: titanium(IV) ''i''-propoxide, isopropyl titanate, tetraisopropyl titanate, tetraisopropyl orthotitanate, titanium tetraisopropylate, orthotitanic acid tetraisopropyl ester, Isopropyl titanate(IV), titanic acid tetraisopropyl ester, isopropyltitanate, titanium(IV) isopropoxide, titanium tetraisopropoxide, ''iso''-propyl titanate, titanium tetraisopropanolate, tetraisopropoxytitanium(IV), tetraisopropanolatotitanium, tetrakis(isopropoxy) titanium, tetrakis(isopropanolato) titanium, titanic acid isopropyl ester, titanic acid tetraisopropyl ester, titanium isopropoxide, titanium isopropylate, tetrakis(1-methylethoxy)titanium.

Applications

TTIP can be used as a precursor for ambient conditions vapour phase deposition such as infiltration into polymer thin films.

References

External links

{{Titanium compounds Alkoxides Titanium(IV) compounds Isopropyl compounds