Oxidation-alcoholysis of organosilyl- and organogermyl-substituted ferrocenes in the presence of ferric ions

Eleven ferrocene derivatives bearing the MM (M = Si and/or Ge) substituent bonded directly to the ring have been found to undergo alcoholysis at the MM linkage in the presence of either ferric chloride or ferricenium tetrachloroferrate. It is suggested that the oxidation-reduction process between the ferrocene derivatives and ferric ions gives rise to the corresponding substituted ferricenium ions, which, in turn may readily undergo a nucleophilic attack by alcohol at the adjacent highly polarized MM bond. The reaction is thus very similar to the acid-catalyzed alcoholysis of these ferrocene derivatives.