The design and synthesis of a new potentially C3-symmetric ferrocenylphosphine

A new potentially C₃-symmetric phosphine ligand ‘manphos’ has been obtained and fully characterized. The ligand which is a tri-ferrocenyl-tetra-phosphine is obtained in a simple and effective two step synthesis starting from 1,1′-dibromoferrocene via the intermediate compound tris-(1′-bromoferrocenyl)phosphine or alternatively via 1'-bromo-1-diphenylphosphinoferrocene. The iso-propylphosphino-analogue of manphos, tris-(1'-diisopropylphosphinoferrocenenyl)phosphine, has also been obtained, in addition to several functionalised derivatives of triferrocenylphosphine where the ferrocene rings have been substituted in the 1′-position.