Starting from 2-formyl-3,4-dimethylphosphaferrocene, a series of vinyl-substituted phosphaferrocenes was prepared by Wittig and related olefination reactions. The parent 3,4dimethyl-2-vinylphosphaferrocene (2) could be selectively converted to either the terminal or branched alcohols 8b and 8a by hydroboration/oxidation or protonation in aqueous solution, respectively. Elimination of HBr from 2-bromovinylphosphaferrocene 9 provided access to the 2-ethynylphosphaferrocene derivative 10, which could be converted to other alkynes by deprotonation and electrophilic quench. Additionally, the syntheses of the 2-cyano-(15) and 2-Synthesis and Reactivity of Vinyl-and Alkynylphosphaferrocenes Scheme 1. Preparation of the vinylphosphaferrocene derivative 2.are easily accessible by Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions (Scheme 2). [7] The desired phosphonates were obtained from triethyl phosphite and the respective bromo compound and were subsequently deprotonated with nBuLi or NaH prior to addition of the aldehyde. The acrylic ester 3 was obtained solely as the E isomer, whereas for the acrylonitrile 4 an E/Z ratio of 10:1 was observed.
Scheme 2. Preparation of acrylic derivatives 3 and 4.The presence of the phosphorus atom affects the appearance of the 1 H NMR spectrum of the vinyl group in compound 2; the signal for the CH proton is additionally split due to a 3 J HP coupling of 10.5 Hz, whereas the trans proton of the CH 2 group experiences a 4 J HP coupling of 1.8 Hz.No H-P coupling was observed for the cis CH 2 proton. The acrylic ester 3 could be reduced to give the saturated compound 5 by treatment with NaBH 4 in the presence of CuCl [8] and was finally hydrolyzed to the propionic acid 6 (Scheme 3).Scheme 3. Preparation of propionic acid derivatives 5 and 6.Commencing from 2, the isomeric 2-(phosphaferrocenyl)ethanols 8a and 8b could be prepared. Thus, hydroboration of 2 yields the anti-Markownikow organoborane 7 as a mixture of diastereomers due to the racemic nature of compound 2. However, treatment with alkaline hydrogen peroxide cleanly afforded the linear alcohol 8b in 69 % overall yield, an alternative synthesis of which has been reported by our group before. [9] On the contrary, the branched isomer 8a was obtained by treatment of the vinyl derivative 2 with aqueous hydrochloric acid (Scheme 4). Presumably, the Eur.