[3]Ferrocenophane Ligands with an Inserted Methylene Group

Abstract

Abstract New planar chiral [3]ferrocenophane aminosulfane and aminophosphane ligands displayed interesting results in model Pd‐catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. The phosphane derivative having a methylene group between the cyclopentadienyl ring and the phosphane group showed enantioselectivities up to 86 % ee , whereas the ligand without the methylene group afforded almost racemic allylation products. Analogous sulfane ligands showed the opposite trend. Tentative catalytic complexes were studied by 31 P NMR spectroscopy and DFT computational methods. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)