Synthesis of manganese tricarbonyl cationic complexes of ferrocenyl substituted arenes via a manganese tricarbonyl cation transfer reaction

Manganese tricarbonyl cations of ferrocenyl substituted arenes were synthesized by the reaction of [(naphthalene)Mn(CO)₃]BF₄ with the corresponding arenes in dichloromethane. When the arenes are phenylferrocene, 4-methylphenyl-ferrocene,2,6-dimethylphenyl-ferrocene, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl-ferrocene, trans-(4-methylstyryl)-ferrocene, or trans-(2,4,6-trimethylstyryl)-ferrocene, the diiron compounds [(Fc-arene)FeCp]⁺ and [(Fc-arene)Fe(C₅H₄-arene)]⁺ are obtained as side-products. One of the diiron compounds was characterized by X-ray crystallography.