Synthesis of versatile intermediates of the ferrocene series: reductive amination of ferrocenecarbaldehyde

Reductive amination of ferrocenecarbaldehyde with several primary and secondary amines in the presence of sodium triacetoxyborohydride was studied. This method was used for the synthesis of new ferrocenylmethylamines, viz., N-(ferrocenylmethyl)isoleucine methyl ester, N,N-bis(ferrocenylmethyl)glycine ethyl ester, and N-(3,5-dibenzyloxybenzyl)-N-(ferrocenylmethyl)methylamine. The latter is a potential precursor of a dendrimer with the chiral ferrocenyl plane in the core.