Reductive coupling reaction of aryliminomethylferrocenes with triethyl orthoformate induced by low-valent titanium

Reductive coupling reaction of aryliminomethylferrocenes FcCH = NAr [(1, Ar = C6H5 (a), p-ClC6H4 (b), p-BrC6-M (c), p-CH3C6H4 (d), m-ClC6H4 (e)] with triethyl orthoformate (2) in Zn-TiCl4 system gave three kinds of products: 1,3-diaryl-4,5-diferrocenyl imidazolidines (3), N, N-disubstitated formamid es (4), and 1, 2-diferrocenyl ethylene (5). H-1 NMR spectra proved that all the compounds 3 obtained were dl-isomers. All the new compounds 3 and 4 we re characterized by elemental analysis, H-1 NMR, C-13 MMR (for 3) and IR sp ectra. The molecular structure of 3c was determined by X-ray diffraction.