Synthesis and characterization of difunctionalized derivatives of the cyclobutadiene linked dimeric cobalt sandwich compound [(η5-Cp)Co(η4-C4Ph3)]2

The dicarboxylic diester of the cyclobutadiene linked dimeric cobalt sandwich compound, {[η5-C5H4(C(O)OMe)]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}2 on controlled reduction with LiAlH4 gave the bis(hydroxymethyl) compound {[η5-C5H4(CH2OH)]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}21 in 98% yield. The diester was also reduced to the dimethyl derivative {[η5-C5H4(Me)]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}22 using LiAlH4 and AlCl3. Compound 1 was reacted with NaN3 in acetic acid at 50 °C to get the diazido methyl derivative {[η5-C5H4(CH2N3)]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}23 whereas the bis (2-acetoxy methyl) derivative {[η5-C5H4(CH2OC(O)Me]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}24 was obtained in almost quantitative yield by heating compound 1 with acetic acid at 80–85 °C. Click reaction of compound 3 with phenylacetylene resulted in the bis triazole derivative {[η5-C5H4(CH2N3C2HPh)]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}25 whereas reduction of 3 with LiAlH4 gave the bis (aminomethyl) compound {[η5-C5H4(CH2NH2)]Co(η4-C4Ph3)}26. The diacetyl derivative [{η5-C5H4[C(O)Me]}Co(η4-C4Ph3)}]27 was prepared by the reaction of in-situ generated {η5-C5H4[C(O)Me]}Co(PPh3)2, diphenyl acetylene and diphenyl diacetylene in 2:1:3 molar ratio in 42% yield. A novel dimeric derivative having two different functional groups on the cyclopentadienyl rings [{η5-C5H4[C(O)OMe]}Co(η4-C4Ph3)][{η5-C5H4[C(O)Me]}Co(η4-C4Ph3)] 8 was synthesized in 52% yield by reacting the ethynyl ester {η5-C5H4[C(O)OMe]}Co[η4-C4Ph3(Ctriple bond; length of mdashCPh)] with {η5-C5H4[C(O)Me]}Co(PPh3)2 and diphenyl acetylene in 1:2:3 molar ratio. Structural studies on compounds 1–4, 7 and 8 indicated that the two cobalt sandwich units were oriented almost anti to each other whereas compound 3 had the two cyclobutadiene rings oriented at an angle of 55.7(1)° to each other. The identity of compounds 5 and 6 was confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and mass spectrometry.