Synthesis of novel symmetrical and nonsymmetrical 6-membered heterocycles with pendant electron-rich organoiron substituents

The functionalized complexes [(dppe)Cp^*Fe(CC)]₂-(Py) (Py=2,6-C₅H₃N and 3,5-C₅H₃N (dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) were isolated in good yields from reaction of the chloro complex (dppe)Cp^*FeCl with the protected bis-acetylenic heterocyclic precursor. These electron-rich pyridyl ligands constitute interesting examples of organometallic heterocycles bearing redox-active substituents. Attempts to find an alternative route starting from the alkynyl complex [(dppe)Cp^*Fe(CCH)] and the corresponding dibromopyridines using a Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction are also described. By this route, the monofunctionalized products [(dppe)Cp^*Fe(CC)]-2,6-Py-Br and [(dppe)Cp^*Fe(CC)]-3,5-Py-Br could be cleanly isolated. These compounds open the way to the generation of heteroaromatics featuring nonequivalent alkyne substituents such as [(dppe)Cp^*Fe(CC)]-2,6-Py-[(CC)SiMe₃] or [(dppe)Cp^*Fe(CC)]-3,5-Py-[(CC)SiMe₃] by further coupling.In commemoriation of the centenary of Academician A. N. Nesmeyanov.UMR CNRS 6509 Organométalliques et catalyse: Chimie et Electrochimie Moléculaires, Université de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1207–1218, September, 1999.