Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

Biography

Biography: Deeb Alansawi

Abstract

The reaction of FcSeSiMe₃ (Fc = Fe(h⁵-C₅H₅)(h⁵-C₅H₄)) (1) with equimolar amounts of the acid chlorides Cl(O)C-2-^cC₄H₃X (2a, X = O; 2b, X = NMe) gave the ferrocenyl selenoesters FcSe(C(O)-2-^cC₄H₃X) (3a, X = O; 3b, X = NMe). Upon exposure to silica gel compounds both 3a and 3b underwent an intermolecular conversion followed by transesterification with the silica surface to afford diferrocenyl methanols Fc₂C(OH)(2-^cC₄H₃X) (4a, X = O; 4b, X = NMe). Compounds 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C{¹H}, ⁷⁷Se{¹H}) spectroscopy and ESI-TOF mass spectrometry (4a and 4b). The molecular structures of 3a, 4a and 4b in the solid state were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The electrochemical studies exhibit for 3a and 3b reversible one-electron Fc/Fc⁺ redox processes. During the electrochemical investigations of 4a and 4b two well-separated one-electron redox events could be determined (4a, ∆E^0’ = 330 mV; 4b, 367 mV). UV-Vis/NIR spectroelectrochemical studies on 4a and 4b reveal a weak electronic coupling between the iron centers in the corresponding mixed-valent species of [4a]⁺ and [4b]⁺ according to Robin and Day classification.