The reaction of sodium cyclopentadienide (NaCp) with pentafluoropyridine gives Na[4-(C5F4N)C5H4] (PyFCpNa, 1) contaminated with starting NaCp from which pure 1 could be extracted with Et2O. Hydrolysis of 1 and subsequent crystallization gives pure Diels?Alder dimer 1,4-bis(tetrafluoro-4-pyridyl) tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]deca-3,8-diene (2).
The reactions of 1 with FeCl2, [MnBr(CO)5], CoBr2, [Ni(NH3)6]Cl2,[TiCl4(THF)2] and [CpTiCl3] cleanly affords the corresponding metallocenes Fe(PyFCp)2] (3), [(PyFCp)Mn(CO)3] (5), [Co(PyFCp)2] (6), [Ni(PyFCp)2] (8), (PyFCp)2TiCl2] (9) and [(PyFCp)(Cp)TiCl2] (10), respectively. Tetrafluoro-4-pyridyl-substituted ferrocene 3 and [Fe(PyFCp)(Cp)] (4) can be alternatively prepared by the reaction of the respective lithioferrocenes with C5F5N in THF.
Air-oxidation of complex 6 affords the corresponding cobaltocenium salt [Co(PyFCp)2]PF6 (7). All prepared compounds were characterized spectroscopically and by elemental analysis.
The crystal structures of 3-7 were determined.