Thionation of 1,1′-dibenzoylferrocene: crystal and molecular structure of 1,4-diphenyl-1,4-epithio-2,3-dithia[4](1,1′) ferrocenophane

Abstract

1,1′-Dibenzoylferrocene reacts with tetraphosphorus decasulphide to yield, in addition to the expected 1,1′-bis(thiobenzoyl)ferrocene, a minor, yellow by-product (1) of composition C₂₄H₁₈FeS₃. Crystals of (1) are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n with a= 11.769(3), b= 11.750(4), c= 14.835(2)Å, β= 98.63(1)°, and Z= 4; the structure was refined from diffractometer data to an R value of 0.041. The structure was found to be that of 1,4-diphenyl-1,4-epithio-2,3-dithia[4](1,1′)-ferrocenophane, in which the two rings of the ferrocene nucleus are spanned by a 1,2,4-trithiolane ring.