AN EFFICIENT SYNTHESIS OF THE FIRST ELECTROACTIVE PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING BISFERROCENE MACROCYCLES

Condensation reactions of the phosphodihydrazide XP(Ph)(NMeNH(2))(2) ( X = O 1a, S 1b) with ferrocene-1,1'-dicarboxaldehyde 2 afford in good yield the first examples of phosphorus ferrocenyl macrocycles Fe[C5H4C H=NNMeP(X)PhNMeN=CHC5H4]Fe-2 (X = O 3a, S 3b) and 3b can be converted to the new compounds Fe[C(5)H(4)CH(2)NHNMeP(S)PhNMeNHCH(2)C(5)H(4)]Fe- 2 5 and [Fe{C5H4CH=N NMeP(S)(Me)PhNMeN=CHC5H4}Fe-2][CF3SO3](2) 6 by re action with, respectively, LAH and CF(3)SO(3)Me; 5 represents a novel prototype of an anion receptor which electrochemically recognises the H2PO4-, HSO4- and Cl- anions.