Studies on the cyclomercuration of 1,1 '- bis [(arylimino)phenylmethyl] ferrocenes

The reaction of bisferrocenylimines with mercuric acetate and subsequent tr eatment with LiCl lead to formation of mono (9) and double (10) cyclomercur ated derivatives. The H-1 NMR and Hg-199 NMR spectra of the double cyclomer curated bisferrocenylimines show that compounds 10 exist as two isomers (me so and dl). The individual stereoisomers were isolated successfully by crys tal picking. The structures of these new compounds have been confirmed by e lemental analysis, IR and H-1 NMR spectroscopies, and further by X-ray crys tal structure determination of meso [{HgCl(eta(5)-C5H3CPh=NAr)}(2)Fe] (Ar=m -CH3C6H4). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.