Heterobimetallic complexes with highly flexible 1,1′-bis(phospholanoalkyl)ferrocene ligands

Abstract

The two highly flexible ligands 1,1′-bis(4-phospholanobutyl)ferrocene (5a) and 1,1′-bis(5-phospholanopentyl)ferrocene (5b) reacted with [PtCl₂(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene), [AuCl(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) and [{RhCl(CO)₂}₂] to give the respective chelate complexes cis-[PtCl₂(5a,b-κ²P,P′)] (7a,b), [AuCl(5a,b-κ²P,P′)] (8a,b) and trans-[RhCl(CO)(5b-κ²P,P′)] (9b). Treatment of 5a,b with selenium gave the corresponding selenides 6a,b. All compounds have been fully characterised by NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P) and IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. In addition, crystal structures of 6a, 7b, 8a,b and 9b were determined by X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, the rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation of 1-octene has been studied with ligand 5b.