Synthesis of new binuclear ferrocenyl compounds by hydrosilylation reactions

Ferrocenyl silanes are prepared by treatment of Grignard reagents produced from 4-chlorobutylferrocene derivatives and chlorodimethylsilane in THF. Butenylferrocenes are prepared by the elimination reaction of 4-chlorobutylalkylferrocenes by sodium tert-butoxide in DMSO. A hydrosilylation reaction between a butenyl compound and ferrocenylsilane occurred in dry toluene at room temperature in the presence of the Karstedt catalyst to produce the desired binuclear ferrocenyl compound in good to high yields. The electrochemical behavior of new ferrocenyl compounds were studied by cyclic voltammetry in CH3CN/0.1 M LiClO4, and the relation between the peak currents and the square root of the scan rate, showed that the redox process is diffusion-limited.