THE REDOX BEHAVIOR OF FERROCENYL ALCOHOLS AND FERROCENEDIYL-DIOLS - CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF FERROCENYL(2-FURYL) PHENYLMETHANOL

Cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry show that ferro cenyl alcohols of type (C5H5)Fe(C5H4)C(OH)RR' and ferrocenediols of ty pe Fe[(C5H4)CCR'(OH)](2) undergo quantitative and reversible one-elect ron oxidation at the metal centre, and that the redox potentials are c ontrolled predominantly by the inductive effects of the substituents a t the cu-carbon. The crystal structure of the new alcohol ferrocenyl(2 -furyl)phenylmethanol not only confirms its molecular constitution, bu t also demonstrates that in the solid state it forms centrosymmetric h ydrogen-bonded dimers involving cyclic (OH)(2) bridge without any part icipation of the furan oxygen atom in the hydrogen bonding.