Synthesis of chiral,non-racemic ferrocene derivatives by ortho-metallation and partial reductive removal of ortho-directing amino groups

Chiral, non-racemic 1,2-disubstituted ferrocenes have been prepared from monosubstituted ferrocene derivatives by amine-mediated ortho-directed reactions and subsequent partial reductive removal of the stereogenic ortho-directing group. It was found that the ortho-directing amino group of 2-substituted derivatives of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl-ferrocene and similar compounds can, after quaternisation with methyl iodide, be reductively removed with sodium borohydride to give 2-substituted methyl- or ethylferrocenes. In most cases the substituents I, Br, COOEt, P(O)Ph₂ and CN tolerate the reaction conditions used. In addition, a few examples are reported that show how the use of LiTMP allows 2-bromo- and especially 2-cyano-substituted derivatives to be further ortho-lithiated and reacted to give 1,2,3-trisubstituted ferrocenes.