An Iron Wheel on a Tin Drum: A Novel Assembly of a Hexaferrocene Unit on a Tin–Oxygen Cluster

Abstract

Based on reactions known in organotin chemistry, the robust hexaferrocene assembly [{BuSn(O)OC(O)Fc}6] is obtained in quantitative yield by the reaction of two commercially available reactants. The X-ray crystal structure (see picture) shows a symmetric giant wheel arrangement of the ferrocene units attached in a cyclic manner to a central drumlike stannoxane core. Cyclic voltammetric studies show a single quasireversible oxidation peak.