A facile and efficient stereoselective synthesis of highly functionalised trisubstituted alkene derivatives of ferrocenealdehyde

The reaction of the Baylis–Hillman adduct 2 of ferrocenealdehyde with various oxygen and carbon nucleophiles in the presence of montmorillonite K10 clay catalyst furnished highly functionalised trisubstituted alkene derivatives of ferrocenealdehyde in excellent yield. Synthetic use of one of products 7 has been demonstrated with the synthesis of a 1,3-diyne ether derivative of ferrocene 16 via an Eglinton coupling reaction.