A Synthesis Detour to Planar‐Diastereoisomeric Ferrocene Derivatives around an Unexpected Rearrangement of ortho‐Lithiated Kagan's Template [S(S)]‐(p‐Tolylsulfinyl)ferrocene

Usually, ortho lithiation of Kagan's template 1 and quenching with electrophiles leads highly diastereoselectively to planar‐chiral 1,2‐disubstituted ferrocenes. Surprisingly, lithiation of 1 with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) followed by addition of paraformaldehyde afforded regioisomer (+)‐{[S(S)]‐[4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)phenyl]sulfinyl}ferrocene ( 2 ), which was converted to (+)‐{[S(S)]‐{4‐{2‐[(methylsulfonyl)oxy]ethyl}phenyl}sulfinyl}ferrocene ( 3 ) (Scheme 1). The desired diastereoisomer (l)‐1‐(hydroxymethyl)‐2‐(p‐tolylsulfinyl)ferrocene ( 5 ) in turn could also be obtained by ortho lithiation of 1 with LDA but by quenching with DMF to yield aldehyde 4 first, which then was reduced with NaBH₄ to 5 . Finally, target compound (l)‐1‐[(dimethylamino)methyl]‐2‐(p‐tolylsulfinyl)ferrocene ( 6 ) was obtained by substitution of the OH group of 5 under mild conditions or directly by ortho lithiation of 1 with lithio‐2,4,6‐triisopropylbenzene (=2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl)lithium; LTP) followed by quenching with N,N‐dimethylmethyleneiminium chloride. At low temperatures, reaction of 1 with LDA leads, via the preferred diastereoisomeric transition state ‘exo’‐ 7 and under extrusion of a (diisopropylamine)lithium complex of type 8 , in a highly selective manner, to diastereoisomeric ortho‐lithiated chelate (l)‐ 9 (Scheme 2). The reaction of 1 to 2 is explained by a rearrangement of (l)‐ 9 to {[S(S)] [4‐(lithiomethyl)phenyl]sulfinyl}ferrocene 10 , which is acid‐catalyzed by coordinated diisopropylamine in complexes of type 8 . This rearrangement is not observed if LTP is used as base or, in case LDA is applied, if the electrophile is sufficiently reactive at low temperatures.