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The synthesis and characterisation of a series of ferrocenylaminoalcohols is reported. 1,2-Aminoalcohol compounds were prepared from the respective ferrocene aldehydes via reaction with trimethylsilylcyanide followed by reduction with LiAlH 4 . This series includes the ferrocene derivative 1,1Ј-dimethyl-3-(2-amino-1-hydroxyethyl)ferrocene 1, which is used as a redox mediator to glucose oxidase in a commercial biosensor for determining blood glucose levels in diabetics. The aminoalcohol derivatives are included in a structure-activity study involving the electrochemical determination of the mediation rates of a range of systematically substituted ferrocenes with glucose oxidase. These mediation rates are correlated with structure. DALTON

The chemistry of the diruthenium centre, when stabilised by q-C5Me5 ligands, provides examples of new organic transformations (e.g. isomerisation of ethylene to ethylidene, addition of ethylene to vinylidene) and new species {ens. [ R U Z ( C ~) , ( C ~-H ) * ( ~-C ~M ~~) ~I } .

A series of 8-(ferrocenylalkyl)theophylline conjugates were synthesized for evaluation in a homogeneous, competitive electrochemical immunoassay for theophylline with amperometric detection of the ferrocene label at +320 mV. The electrical signal was amplified via redox cycling with the glucose oxidase/glucose system. The resulting catalytic current was strongly inhibited upon binding of the conjugates to anti-theophylline antibodies such that a large excess of theophylline was required to achieve complete reversal leading to an assay with poor sensitivity in the clinical range. A study of the nonspecific interaction of the antibodies with various ferrocene derivatives indicated that this was reduced when a charged functional group was present on the metallocene ring. Consequently, a conjugate was synthesized with a quaternary ammonium group which when incorporated into the assay resulted in improved sensitivity.

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