The synthesis and electrochemistry of 2,5-dimethylazaferrocenes with heteroaryl bridges

We report on the synthesis of complexes having two equivalent redox active 2,5-dimethylazaferrocenyl entities connected by heteroaryl (heteroaryl = thiophenyl, bithiophenyl and pyridyl) bridges. The new compounds have been investigated by various electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SW) and were found to exhibit two consecutive reversible or partially reversible one-electron oxidations. Comproportionation constants (Kc) calculated from ΔE1/2 values indicate that the thermodynamic stability of their monoxidized forms exceeds those of analogous ferrocenes. In this paper we also report the X-ray crystal structure and UV–Vis spectroelectrochemistry of parent 2,5-dimethylazaferrocene.

Graphical abstractHeteroaryl bridged dinuclear 2,5-dimethylazaferrocene derivatives were prepared. Their radical cations have larger comproportionation constants Kc than the analogous ferrocenes.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide