Synthesis of diferrocenylmethoxyethanol via reaction of diferrocenylmethyl cabonium with glycol and its crystal structure

The new compound diferrocenylmethoxyethanol has been synthesized from the reaction of glycol in the presence of triethylamine with diferrocenylmethyl carbonium which was generated by diferrocenylmethanol treated with BF₃ in CH₂Cl₂ without separation from the reaction mixture. Diferrocenylmethoxyethanol was characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR and IR. The structure was also confirmed by a X-ray single crystal study. It was found that diferrocenylmethoxylethanol crystallized in a monoclinic P2₁ space group and a=5.8250(8) Å, b=7.4034(10) Å, c=21.773(3) Å, α=90°, β=95.020(3)°, γ=90°, V=935.4(2) Å³, Z=2, D _c=1.577 mg·m^?3, μ=1.566 mm^?1, F(0 0 0)=460.