Highly diastereoselective reduction of ferrocene bis-imines with methyllithium and the formation of C2-symmetric Zr complexes

Alkylation of ferrocene bis-imines Fc[NC(H)Ar]2(Ar = Ph, p-Tol) with MeLi was found to proceed in a highly diastereoselective fashion producing the C2-symmetric ferrocene diamines Fc[NC(H)(Me)Ar]2–H2 with 90% diastereomeric excess. This process allowed for the synthesis of C2-symmetric zirconium complexes Fc[NC(Me)Ar]ZrBn2.