The reaction of TiCl 4 (THF) 2 or ZrCl 4 (THF) 2 with Mg in the presence of 1-aza-1,3-dienes (1) has been investigated. Reduction of TiCl 4 (THF) 2 with 2 equiv of Mg in the presence of 2 equiv of (R 1 )NdCHC(R 2 )dCH(Ph) yields the first homoleptic 1-aza-1,3-diene complex, [Ti-{N(R 1 )CHdC(R 2 )CH(Ph)} 2 ] (7), but only if the 1-aza-1,3-diene is substituted by a sterically demanding group at the nitrogen atom (1b: R 1 ) C 6 H 3 -2,6-iPr 2 , R 2 ) H). X-ray crystallography indicates a σ 2 ,π coordination of the heterodienes, which are reduced to 1-azabut-2-ene-1,4-diyl dianions to form folded 1-aza-2-titanacyclopent-4-ene rings. As a byproduct, the bicyclic complex [{N(R 1 )CHdC(R 2 )CH(Ph)}Ti{N(R 1 )CHdC(R 2 )CH(Ph)CH{C(R 2 )dCH-(Ph)}N(R 1 )] (8) was isolated, which is believed to arise from CdN insertion of 1b into the Ti-C bond of the intermediate [{N(R 1 )CHdC(R 2 )CH(Ph)}TiCl 2 ], followed by the coordination of a further 1-aza-1,3-diene ligand. The analogous bicyclic zirconium complex [{N(R 1 )CHd C(R 2 )CH(Ph)}Zr{N(R 1 )CHdC(R 2 )CH(Ph)CH{C(R 2 )dCH(Ph)}N(R 1 )] (6: R 1 ) cyclo-C 6 H 11 , R 2 ) Me) is the only available product when the reduction of ZrCl 4 (THF) 2 is performed in the presence of the 1-aza-1,3-diene (cyclo-C 6 H 11 )NdCHC(Me)dCHPh (1a), which is substituted by a sterically less demanding group at the terminal nitrogen atom. Addition of 2 equiv of benzophenone to 7 affords the titanium complex [Ti{OCPh 2 CH(Ph)C(R 2 )dCHN(R 1 )} 2 ] (9). The solid-state structure of 9 shows the titanium in a distorted-tetrahedral environment, being the center of two folded oxazatitanacycloheptene rings.