  In the layered quantum spin systems TiOCl and TiOBr the magnetic
susceptibility shows a very weak temperature dependence at high temperatures
and transition-induced phenomena at low temperatures. There is a clear
connection of the observed transition temperatures to the distortion of the
octahedra and the layer separation. Band structure calculations point to a
relation of the local coordinations and the dimensionality of the magnetic
properties. While from magnetic Raman scattering only a small decrease of the
magnetic exchange by -5-10% is derived comparing TiOCl with TiOBr, the
temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility favors a much bigger
change.
