Reactions of 2,3-diferrocenylcyclopropenone with methyllithium and phenyllithium

Reactions of 2,3-diferrocenylcyclopropenone with methyllithium and phenyllithium afford products of the nucleophilic opening of the three-membered ring, viz., α,β-unsaturated ketones (cis-3,4-diferrocenylbut-3-en-2-one and cis-2,3-diferrocenyl-1-phenylprop-2-enone) and allylic alcohols (cis-3,4-diferrocenyl-2-methylbut-3-en-2-ol and cis-1,1-diphenyl-2,3-diferrocenylprop-2-en-1-ol). The insertion product of a methyl(diferrocenyl)vinylcarbenoid into a σ-bond of the starting compound, viz., 2,3,4-triferrocenyl-4-(1-ferrocenyl-2-oxopropyl)cyclobutenone, along with intramolecular ortho-alkylation products, viz., 2,3-diferrocenylindanone and 2,3-diferrocenyl-2-hydroxyindanone, were also isolated. X-ray diffraction data for triferrocenylcyclobutenone and 2,3-diferrocenyl-2-hydroxyindanone are presented.