Exploring the boundaries of ferrocenesulfonyl fluoride chemistry

Abstract

Ferrocenesulfonyl fluorides represent a new subfamily of metallocenes barely explored. Here, we describe how the use of deprotolithiation-electrophilic trapping sequences and ‘halogen dance’ reactions can afford up to 1,2,3,4,5-hetero pentasubstituted derivatives. While the orthogonal reactivity of ferrocenesulfonyl fluorides was demonstrated in a variety of transformations, SuFEx chemistry afforded various sulfur-based ferrocene derivatives. The electrochemical behaviour of many polysubstituted derivatives was studied and discussed as well as weak interactions identified in the solid state.