THE LITHIATION OF FERROCENE AND RUTHENOCENE - A RETRACTION AND AN IMPROVEMENT

We reported in 1993 an efficient synthesis of ferrocene and ruthenocen e mono- and dialdehydes which suggested the first truly specific monol ithiation of these two metallocenes (U.T. Mueller Westerhoff, Z. Yang and G. Ingram, J. Organomet. Chem., 463 (1993) 163). Unfortunately, th ese results were based on inappropriate experimental methods. we have now meticulously analyzed a wide spread of reaction conditions and hav e concluded that an effective monolithiation of ferrocene and of ruthe nocene is possible, but not under the previously described reaction co nditions.