Synthesis of planar chiral ferrocenyl cyclopentadienyl chelate ligand precursors

Two families of planar chiral ferrocenyl cyclopentadienyl chelate ligands for use in ansa-half sandwich metallocene complexes of catalytically active transition metals are described. The first family was derived in 4–5 steps from an enzymatic resolution of 1-iodo-2-(methylalcohol)ferrocene and possesses a cyclopentadiene derivative [Cp(H) = 1-indenyl, 2-indenyl or Ph₄Cp(H)] directly attached to the ferrocene ring with an adjacent vicinal tether CH₂Z donor group (Z = OH, OMe, NHMe, NMe₂ or PPh₂). The second family was derived from a chiral auxiliary approach and has the donor group (Z = PPh₂ or NMe₂) attached directly to the ferrocene ring with an adjacent tether vicinal CH₂Cp(H) group [Cp(H) = Cp(H), fluorenyl, 1-indenyl, Me₄Cp(H) or Ph₄Cp(H)].