Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural perspective of new ferrocenyl amides

Two new ferrocene derivatives with amide linkages were synthesized by the condensation of 4-ferrocenylaniline with n-alkyl acid chloride derivatives as pristine orange solids in good yields. FTIR and H-1/C-13 NMR studies have confirmed the basic structure of the molecules with the involvement of intermolecular H-bonding, which together with the ferrocene-like packing ensures the stability of the crystal structure. Crystal structures for both compounds were solved by Rietveld refinements of high resolution X-ray powder diffraction data. The XRD results show that both compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c. The primary feature of the crystal structure is a double layer of ferrocenyl groups stretched out in the b-c - plane perpendicular to the a-axis, with packing of the ferrocenyl groups occurring in a manner similar to that of pure ferrocene. Despite the close structural similarity, both compounds differ in the optimized geometry of respective Ferrocene conformers. The Cp rings are eclipsed for one Ferrocene conformer and close to staggered for the other, owing to the low energy barrier for the rotation of a cyclopentadienyl ring relative to the rest of the molecule. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.