Organo-iron mediated synthesis of functional dendrimers with 1 → 3 connectivity

The organo-iron mediated activation of arene in the sandwich complexes [FeCp(η⁶-arene)][PF₆] is shown to produce 1 → 3 connectivity at benzylic positions that was utilized for dendrimer syntheses. This mini-review of the work carried out in the authors’ laboratory summarizes this principle and its applications with emphasis on recent significant improvements in the CpFe⁺-mediated reactions, recyclability of the CpFe⁺ group, mechanistic features and examples of efficient and useful functionalization reactions.