The crystal and molecular structure of (η5-pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl) (η5-cyclopentadienyl)iron(II), 1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylferrocene, [Fe(C5Ph5)(C5H5)]

Pentaarylcyclopentadienyl Iron, Cobalt, and Nickel Halides

The preparation of new stable half-sandwich transition metal complexes, having a bulky cyclopentadienyl ligand C5(C6H4-4-Et)5 (Cp(Ar1)) or C5(C6H4-4-nBu)5 (Cp(Ar2)), is reported. The tetrahydrofuran (THF) adduct [Cp(Ar1)Fe(μ-Br)(THF)]2 (1a) was synthesized by reacting K[Cp(Ar1)] with [FeBr2(THF)2] in THF, and its molecular structure was determined by X-ray crystallography. Complex 1a easily loses its coordinated THF molecules under vacuum to form the solvent-free complex [Cp(Ar1)Fe(μ-Br)]2 (1b). The analogous complexes [Cp(Ar1)Co(μ-Br)]2 (2), [Cp(Ar1)Ni(μ-Br)]2 (3), and [Cp(Ar2)Ni(μ-Br)]2 (4) were synthesized from CoBr2 and [NiBr2(1,2-dimethoxyethane)]. The mononuclear, low-spin cobalt(III) and nickel(III) complexes [Cp(Ar2)MI2] (5, M = Co; 6, M = Ni) were prepared by reacting the radical Cp(Ar2) with NiI2 and CoI2. The complexes were characterized by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies and by elemental analyses. Single-crystal X-ray structure analyses revealed that the dimeric complexes 1a, 1b, and 3 have a planar M2Br2 core, whereas 2 and 4 feature a puckered M2Br2 ring.

Pentamethylated and pentaphenylated azaferro- and azaruthenocenes: simple and general methodology for the preparation of enantiopure derivatives

A methodology for the enantioselective synthesis of planar chiral 2-substituted 1',2',3',4',5'-pentamethylazaferro- and azaruthenocenes is reported. The key step is the introduction of an enantiopure chiral sulfoxide auxiliary via a selective ortho-lithiation with subsequent chromatographic separation of the resulting diastereomers. Cleaving off the sulfoxide auxiliary by treatment with t-BuLi generates an optically pure anion which may be quenched with a variety of electrophiles to give the optically pure azametallocene derivatives. In addition, it was attempted to extend the methodology to encompass 1',2',3',4',5'-pentaphenyl derivatives. It was, however, not possible to attach the chiral sulfoxide auxiliary onto the pentaphenylated azaferrocene, and for the azaruthenocene case, only one diastereomer could be isolated. Most importantly, the sulfoxide group could be cleaved off and the resulting chiral azaruthenocenyl anion was quenched with paraformaldehyde and iodine, resulting in products with ee values of 85% and 99%, respectively.

An efficient route to pentasubstituted acylferrocenes

A number of pentasubstituted acylferrocenes were selectively prepared from ferrous chloride, sodium acylcyclopentadienides, and the corresponding pentasubstituted lithium cyclopentadienides in good yields. The selectivity is governed by the different steric and electronic properties of the acylcyclopentadienides vs the pentasubstituted cyclopentadienides.

X-ray crystal structure of (eta(5)-pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl)[1-(eta(5/6)-phenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetraphenylcyclopentadienyl]iron(II), [Fe(eta(5)-C(5)Ph(5))[(eta(5/6)-C(6)H(5))C(5)Ph(4)]], a linkage isomer of decaphenylferrocene

Very dark blue prismatic crystals of [Fe(eta(5)-C(5)Ph(5))[(eta(5/6)-C(6)H(5))(C(5)Ph(4))]], the linkage isomer of decaphenylferrocene, were grown from (3:1 v/v) hexane/ethyl acetate and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (space group P2(1)/n, R1(F) 0.0404). The iron atom is coordinated to two C(5)Ph(5) ligands: one with an eta(5)-C(5)-configuration and the other with a coordinated arene configuration. The phenyl groups of the (eta(5)-C(5)Ph(5)) ligand are oriented in a "paddle-wheel" arrangement about the C(5) ring, with which four of them make an average angle of approximately 53 degrees, the other, an angle of approximately 42 degrees. The coordinated C(6)H(5) ring of the other ligand is inclined at only approximately 5 degrees to the uncoordinated C(5) ring, with which three of the other four phenyl rings make an average angle of approximately 64 degrees, and the other (opposite the coordinated arene ring), an angle of 38 degrees.