solvent is exchanged for an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent e g isopar u00ae e to precipitate the licl which is removed by filtration the filtrate a solution of a cyclopentadienyl or indenyl titanium tri isopropoxide is treated with sicl 4 alcl 3 or bcl 3 preferably at reflux in an amount at least stoichiometrically appropriate to provide the corresponding cyclopentadiene titanium trichloride any compound of the formula xti or 3 in which x is a halogen preferably chlorine and r is an alkyl group preferably a c 1 to c 6 alkyl group may be used instead of clti oipr 3 the lithenide is treated in situ with clti oipr 3 at reflux for 6 to 8 hours thf was distilled until the residual amount was less than 1 by gmcs isopar u00ae e an aliphatic hydrocarbon was added to precipitate licl the intermediate pentamethylcyclopentadiene titanium tri isopropoxide in solution in isopar u00ae e was filtered away from the licl the cake was washed with hexanes see equation 2 the thf solvent was exchanged for isopar u00ae e to precipitate licl the licl was separated by filtration the filtrate was treated with 2 2 eq sicl 4 and refluxed to provide me 5 c.