Diferrocenylpyrylium salts and electron rich bispyran from oxidative coupling of ferrocenylpyran. Example of redox systems switched by proton transfer

Abstract

Electro or chemical oxidation of ferrocenylmethylenepyran gave an ethanediferrocenylbispyrylium salt through the dimerization of a ferrocenylpyran radical-cation (C–C bond making). Electro or chemical reduction gave back the ferrocenylmethylenepyran (C–C bond breaking). This electrochemical reverse system constitutes an example of C–C bond making–breaking process in a metallocenyl series with rather high stability. DFT calculations and electrochemical studies were carried out in order to determine the electronic structure of the radical cation intermediate, the role of the ferrocenyl groups and the mechanism of the C–C bond making and C–C bond breaking processes. Reversible deprotonation of the ethanediferrocenylbispyrylium salt afforded an extended diferrocenylbismethylenepyran, which was subsequently reversibly oxidized to an ethenediferrocenylbispyrylium salt. X-Ray crystallographic data of diferrocenylbismethylenepyran and ethenediferrocenylbispyrylium salt allowed to determine the molecular movements, which come with the electron transfer (ET). A comparison with the behavior of the corresponding isoelectronic bisdithiafulvenes (extended TTF) and bisdithiolium salts was made.