RONALD G. SUTHERLAND, RATAN L. CHOWDHURY, ADAM ~' I~R K o , and CHOI CHUCK LEE. Can. J. Chem. 64,203 1 (1986). Janovsky reactions were carried out between various r16-substituted benzene-qs-cyclopentadienyliron cations containing at least one electron-withdrawing substituent in the complexed arene and the enolate-carbanion derived from acetone, butanone, or 3-pentanone. Highly colored adducts were obtained from reactions of the cyclopentadienyliron (CpFe) complexes of nitrobenzene, cyanobenzene, p-tolylsulfonylbenzene, benzoylbenzene, o-, p-, or m-nitrotoluene, and o-, p-, or m-dichiorobenzene with acetone in aqueous KOH, the products being derived from e.xo-addition of the acetonyl anion regioselectively at a position ortho to an electron-withdrawing substituent. For example, reaction of the q6-nitrobenzene-$-cyclopentadienyliron cation (la) with acetone in aqueous KOH gave (~,S)-(1-5-~~-1-nitro-6-exo-(2-oxo-l-~ro~~l)-c~clohexadien~l)(~~-c~clo-pentadieny1)iron (2a), isolated as a purple solid. Similarly, reaction of the nitrobenzene complex l a with 3-pentanone in aqueous KOH gave two diastereomeric adducts, (R,R-S,S)-and (R,S-S,R)-(1-5-~~-l-nitro-6-exo-(3-oxo-2-~ent~l)-cyclohexadienyl)(r15-cyclopentadienyl)iron ( l l a , b). Reactions of the CpFe complexes of chlorobenzene and o-or pdichlorobenzene with butanone in aqueous KOH were also investigated. In each case, three Janovsky adducts, two being diastereomers, were obtained from addition of the two carbanions derived from loss of either a-proton of butanone. Potential synthetic applications via these Janovsky adducts are pointed out since their treatment with ammonium ceric nitrate could lead to demetallation-oxidation; for example, (2,5-dichlorophenyl)propanone, a new compound, was obtained from the adduct formed between the p-dichlorobenzene complex and the acetonyl anion. Chem. 64,2031Chem. 64, (1986 On a effectue la reaction de Janovsky entre divers cations benzene q6-substitues ~~c l o~e n t a d i~n~l -~~ de fer contenant au moins un substituant Clectro-attracteur dans le complexe a r h e et les carbanions Cnoliques derives de I'acCtone, de la butanone ou de la pentanone-3. On obtient des adduits fortement lors des rkactions des complexes cyclopentadiCnyles de fer (CpFe) et du nitrobenzene, du cyanobenzkne, du p-tolylsulfonylbenzene. du benzoylbenzi.ne des o-, p-ou m-nitrotolukne et des o-, p-ou m-dichlorobenzene avec l'acetone dans du KOH aqueux. Les produits proviennent d'une addition exo rCgiosClective de I'anion acCtonyle en position ortho d'un substituant Clectro-attracteur. Par exemple, la reaction du cation nitro-q6 benzenecyclopentadiCnyle-q5 de fer (la) avec I'acCtone dans du KOH aqueux donne du (nitro-1 (0x0-2 propyl-1)-exo-6 cyclohexadienyl--r15-1 ,5) (cyclopentadiCnyl--r15) de fer (R,S) (2a) qui a Ct C is016 sous la forme d'un solide de couleur pourpre. Le complexe l a du nitrobenzene reagit de la mCme f a~o n avec la pentanone-3 dans du KOH aqueux pour donner deux adduits diastCreoisomeres soit les nitro-l (0x0-3 pentyl-2)-exo-6 (cyclohexa...