The enantiomerically pure dibromoferrocene 3 [(Sp,Sp )-1,1'-dibromo-2,2'-di(isopropyl)ferrocene], equipped with two iPr groups in α positions, was prepared using known "Ugi amine" chemistry. Species 3 was targeted in order to gain access to new [1]ferrocenophanes ([1]FCPs) to be used as monomers for ring-opening polymerization. The iPr groups on the sandwich unit were introduced to stabilize bridging moieties, as well as to increase solubilities of targeted metallopolymers. The planar chiral dibromide 3 can quantitatively be lithiated at 0°C [2 equiv nBuLi, hexanes/thf (9:1), 30 min]. Salt-metathesis reactions with respective element dichloride species gave chiral [1]FCPs with a variety of bridging moieties [ERx =Ga[2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4] (4 a), SiMe2 (4 b), SntBu2 (4 c), BNiPr2 (4 d)]. The new [1]FCPs were fully characterized including single-crystal X-ray analysis. The stabilizing iPr groups on the Cp rings increase the thermal stabilities of 4 b-d compared to known [1]FCPs, equipped with the same bridging moieties. All three compounds 4 b-d are volatile and could be isolated by vacuum sublimation. Our new approach to [1]FCPs has the potential to overcome many of the existing difficulties in ferrocenophane chemistry, such as limited stability of starting monomers and low solubilities of resulting polyferrocenes.

Aluminum- and gallium-bridged [1]ferrocenophanes (4a, 4b), [1]chromarenophanes (5a, 5b), and [1]vanadarenophanes (6a, 6b) were synthesized from the respective dilithiated sandwich compounds with element dichlorides (Me2Ntsi)ECl2 [E = Al, Ga; Me2Ntsi = C(SiMe3)2(SiMe2NMe2)] in moderate to high isolated yields (54−97%). The new intramolecularly stabilized aluminum compound (Me2NCH2tsi)AlCl2 (2a) was synthesized, but was proven to be unreactive with respect to [Fe(LiC5H4)2]·2/3TMEDA. The diamagnetic species 2a, 4a, 4b, 5a, and 5b were characterized by NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 27Al), CHN elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry, whereas the paramagnetic compounds 6a and 6b were characterized by IR spectroscopy, CHN elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry. In addition, the molecular structures of compounds 2a, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, and 6b were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. All [1]cyclophanes are strained species, as revealed by the following tilt angles α [deg]:  14.33(14) (4a), 15.83(19) (4b), 11.81(9) (5a), 13.24(13) (5b), 14.65(14) (6a), and 15.63(14) (6b).

A gallium-bridged polyferrocene was prepared via spontaneous ring-opening polymerization of a galla[1]ferrocenophane. This organometallic polymer is thermally robust and can be purified and handled under ambient conditions, making it an ideal candidate for incorporation into polymer based materials offering an alternative to existing polyferrocenes. The tBu group pointing toward the polymer backbone serves as a very sensitive NMR probe of the polymer stereochemistry.

The fragmentation of the copper(I) guanidinate [Me(2)NC(NiPr)(2)Cu](2) (1) has been investigated with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS), matrix-isolation FTIR spectroscopy (MI FTIR spectroscopy), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Gas-phase thermolyses of 1 were preformed in the temperature range of 100-800 degrees C. TOF MS and MI FTIR gave consistent results, showing that precursor 1 starts to fragment at oven temperatures above 150 degrees C, with a close to complete fragmentation at 260 degrees C. Precursor 1 thermally fragments to Cu((s)), H(2)(g), and the oxidized guanidine Me(2)NC(=NiPr)(N=CMe(2)) (3). In TOF MS experiment, 3 was clearly indentified by its molecular ion at 169.2 u. Whereas H(2)(+) was detected, atomic Cu was not found in gas-phase thermolysis. In addition, the guanidine Me(2)NC(NiPr)(NHiPr) (2) was detected as a minor component among the thermolysis products. MI thermolysis experiments with precursor 1 were performed, and species evolving from the thermolysis oven were trapped in solid argon at 20 K. These species were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. The most indicative feature of the resulting spectra from thermolysis above 150 degrees C was a set of intense and structured peaks between 1600 and 1700 cm(-1), an area where precursor 1 does not have any absorbances. The guanidine 2 was matrix-isolated, and a comparison of its FTIR spectrum with the spectra of the thermolysis of 1 indicated that species 2 was among the thermolysis products. However, the main IR bands in the range of 1600 and 1700 cm(-1) appeared at 1687.9, 1668.9, 1635.1, and 1626.6 cm(-1) and were not caused by species 2. The oxidized guanidine 3 was synthesized for the first time and characterized by (1)H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. A comparison of an FTIR spectrum of matrix isolated 3 with spectra of the thermolysis of 1 revealed that the main IR bands in the range of 1600 and 1700 cm(-1) are due to the presence of 3. The isomers exhibit the NMe(2) group cis or trans to the iPr group, with cis-3 being significantly less stable than trans-3. At higher temperature secondary thermal fragments had been observed. For example at 700 degrees C, TOF MS and MI FTIR data showed that species 2 and 3 both eliminate HNMe(2) to give the carbodiimides iPrNCNiPr (CDI) and iPrNCN[C(=CH(2))Me] (4), respectively. A DFT study of the decomposition of compound 1 was undertaken at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory employing dispersion-correcting potentials (DCPs). The DFT study rationalized both carbodiimide deinsertion and beta-hydrogen elimination as exergonic decomposition pathways (DeltaG = -44.4 kcal/mol in both cases), but experiment showed beta-hydrogen elimination to be the favorable route.