Synthesis of 1-(4-(ethynylferrocenyl)phenyl)-1H-imidazole (7)
formaldehyde (10 mL, 0.1 mol) were added and the mixture was
refluxed for 2 h. Afterwards, phosphoric acid (7 mL) was added
in a single portion and the reaction mixture was refluxed for
additional 6 h. After cooling down to ambient temperature all
volatiles were removed in vacuum and the dark brown residue
was poured onto ice and neutralised with potassium hydroxide
until pH ≈ 9 was reached. The resulting mixture was extracted
with dichloromethane (300 mL) and dried over magnesium
sulfate. The solvent was removed in vacuum and the residue was
purified on silica (column size: 15 × 5 cm) using diethyl ether as
eluent. The product 3b was obtained as pale yellow solid. Yield:
4.3 g (14.4 mmol, 29% based on 4-iodoaniline). Anal. Calcd for
C11H11IN2 (298.12 g mol−1): C, 44.32; H, 3.72; N, 9.40. Found:
C, 45.34; H, 3.90; N, 8.75. Mp.: 86 °C. IR (KBr, ν˜/cm−1): 1495
(m, NvC), 1588 (w, CvC), 2854/2917/2959 (w, C–H), 3060/
Ethynylferrocene (6, 0.5 g, 2.38 mmol), 3a (0.53 g, 2.38 mmol),
[CuI] (45 mg, 10 mol%) and [PdCl2(PPh3)2] (83 mg, 5 mol%)
were dissolved in dry triethylamine (60 mL) and stirred at 60 °C
for 16 h. After removal of all volatiles in vacuum, the residue
was purified by column chromatography on silica (column size:
15 × 3.5 cm) using diethyl ether and then ethyl acetate as
eluents. Product 7 was obtained as yellow solid. Yield: 0.37 g
(1.05 mmol, 44% based on 3a). Anal. Calcd for C21H16FeN2
(352.21 g mol−1): C, 71.61; H, 4.58; N, 7.95. Found: C, 71.45;
H, 4.60; N, 7.95. Mp.: 160 °C (dec.). IR (KBr, ν˜/cm−1): 1490
(w, NvC), 1524 (m, CvC), 2206 (w, CuC), 2851/2921 (w,
C–H), 3108 (w,vC–H). 1H NMR (500.30 MHz, CDCl3, δ):
3
4.26 (s, 5 H, C5H5), 4.27 (pt, JHH = 1.8 Hz, 2 H, C5H4),
3
1
4.52 (pt, JHH = 1.9 Hz, 2 H, C5H4), 7.24 (m, 1 H, C3H3N2),
3105 (w, vC–H). H NMR (500.30 MHz, CDCl3, δ): 2.08 (s, 3
3
3
7.32 (m, 1 H, C3H3N2), 7.35 (dpt, JHH = 8.5 Hz, 2 H, C6H4),
H, CH3), 2.21 (s, 3 H, CH3), 7.01 (dpt, JHH = 8.7 Hz, 2 H, Ho/
3
7.59 (dpt, JHH = 8.4 Hz, 2 H, C6H4), 7.89 (m, 1 H,
3
C6H4), 7.45 (s, 1 H, H2/C3HN2), 7.80 (dpt, JHH = 8.7 Hz, 2 H,
H2/C3H3N2). 13C{1H} NMR (125.81 MHz, CD2Cl2, δ): 64.8 (s,
Ci/C5H4), 69.2 (s. C5H4), 70.1 (s, C5H5), 71.6 (s, C5H4), 84.6
(s, CuC), 90.2 (s, CuC), 121.1 (s, C4/C3H2N2), 121.3 (s,
Co/C6H4), 123.2 (s, Cp/C6H4), 123.5 (s, C5/C3H2N2), 133.0 (s,
Cm/C6H4), 133.2 (s, Ci/C6H4), 136.5 (s, C2/C3H3N2). HRMS
(ESI-TOF) C21H16FeN2 [M + nH]+ m/z: calcd: 353.0719, found:
353.0736.
Hm/C6H4). 13C{1H} NMR (125.81 MHz, CDCl3, δ): 9.2 (s,
CH3), 12.9 (s, CH3), 93.2 (Cp/C6H4), 122.8 (s, C4/C3HN2),
127.4 (s, Co/C6H4), 135.0 (s, C2/C3HN2), 135.1 (s, C5/C3HN2),
136.8 (s, Ci/C6H4), 138.8 (s, Cm/C6H4). HRMS (ESI-TOF)
C11H11IN2 [M + nH]+ m/z: calcd: 299.0050, found: 299.0040.
Please, notice that the results of the elemental analysis deviate
from the calculated values due to decomposition of 3b because
this compound is highly light sensitive.
Synthesis of 1-(4-(1,1′-biphenyl))-4,5-dimethyl-1H-imidazole (9)
Imidazole 3b (1.29 g, 6.5 mmol), phenylboronic acid (8, 0.95 g,
7.81 mmol, 1.2 eq), potassium carbonate (2.69 g, 19.5 mmol,
3 eq) and [PdCl2(dppf)] (23 mg, 0.5 mol%) were dissolved in a
1,4-dioxane–water mixture (50 mL, ratio 2 : 1, v:v) and stirred at
100 °C for 16 h. After cooling to ambient temperature the
organic phase was separated, dried over magnesium sulfate and
purified by column chromatography on silica (column size: 18 ×
3.5 cm) using diethyl ether as eluent. Biphenyl 9 was obtained
as a pale yellow solid. Yield: 1.31 g (5.3 mmol, 82% based on
3b). Anal. Calcd for C17H16N2 (248.32 g mol−1): C, 82.22; H,
6.49; N, 11.28. Found: C, 81.61; H, 6.60; N, 11.13. Mp.:
103 °C. IR (KBr, ν˜/cm−1): 1450/1490 (s, NvC), 1595/1605 (w,
Synthesis of 1-(4-ferrocenylphenyl)-1H-imidazole (5)
Ferrocene (840 mg, 4.52 mmol) was dissolved in dry tetrahydro-
furan (60 mL) and cooled to −78 °C. Then potassium tert-butox-
ide (64 mg, 0.57 mmol, 0.125 eq) was added in a single portion
followed by dropwise addition of t-BuLi (5.6 mL, 8.96 mmol, 2
eq). After stirring the reaction mixture for 45 min at −78 °C,
[ZnCl2(thf)2] (1.4 g, 4.99 mmol, 1.1 eq) and 3a (1.0 g,
4.48 mmol) was added in a single portion at 0 °C. The mixture
was stirred for 30 min at this temperature, followed by addition
of [Pd(PPh3)4] (26 mg, 0.5 mol%). After heating the reaction
mixture to 50 °C for 24 h, all volatiles were removed and the
residue was purified by column chromatography on silica
(column size: 15 × 3.5 cm) using diethyl ether as eluent and
then a mixture of diethyl ether–ethyl acetate (ratio 1 : 1, v:v).
The product was obtained as an orange solid. Yield: 0.94 g
(2.86 mmol, 63% based on 3a). Anal. Calcd for C19H16FeN2
(328.19 g mol−1): C, 69.53; H, 4.91; N, 8.54. Found: C, 69.06;
H, 5.06; N, 8.61. Mp.: 132 °C. IR (KBr, ν˜/cm−1): 1509/1532 (s,
NvC), 1560 (w, CvC), 2868/2931 (w, C–H), 3124 (w,vC–H).
1H NMR (500.30 MHz, CD2Cl2, δ): 4.04 (s, 5 H, C5H5), 4.38
1
CvC), 2860/2919 (w, C–H), 3033/3102 (w,vC–H). H NMR
(500.30 MHz, CDCl3, δ): 2.12 (s, 3 H, CH3), 2.24 (s, 3 H, CH3),
3
7.30 (dpt, JHH = 8.4 Hz, 2 H, H3/C6H5–C6H4), 7.36 (m, 1 H,
H4′/C6H5–C6H4), 7.45 (m, 2 H, H3′/C6H5–C6H4), 7.51 (s, 1 H,
3
H2/C3HN2), 7.59 (m, 2 H, H2′/C6H5–C6H4), 7.66 (dpt, JHH
=
8.4 Hz, 2 H, H2/C6H5–C6H4). 13C{1H} NMR (125.81 MHz,
CDCl3, δ): 9.2 (s, CH3), 12.8 (s, CH3), 122.9 (s, Ci), 125.7 (s,
C3/C6H5–C6H4), 127.1 (s, C2′/C6H5–C6H4), 127.8 (s, C4′/C6H5–
C6H4), 128.1 (s, C2/C6H5–C6H4), 128.9 (s, C3′/C6H5–C6H4),
134.6 (s, Ci), 135.1 (s, C2/C3HN2), 136.1 (s, Ci), 139.8 (s, Ci),
141.0 (s, Ci). HRMS (ESI-TOF) C17H16N2 [M + nH]+ m/z:
calcd: 249.1386, found: 249.1381; [M + nNa]+ m/z: calcd:
271.1206, found: 271.1206.
3
3
(pt, JHH = 1.8 Hz, 2 H, C5H4), 4.69 (pt, JHH = 1.8 Hz, 2 H,
C5H4), 7.35 (dpt, JHH = 8.6 Hz, 2 H, Ho/C6H4), 7.37 (pt, JHH
3
3
= 1.5 Hz, 1 H, H4/C3H3N2), 7.43 (pt, JHH = 1.5 Hz, 1 H, H5/
3
C3H3N2), 7.60 (dpt, JHH = 8.6 Hz, 2 H, Hm/C6H4), 8.33 (m, 1
3
H, H2/C3H3N2). 13C{1H} NMR (125.81 MHz, CD2Cl2, δ): 66.8
(s, C5H4), 69.8 (s, C5H4), 69.9 (s, C5H5), 83.2 (s, Ci/C5H4),
120.0 (s, C4/C3H3N2), 122.2 (s, Co/C6H4), 127.3 (s, Cm/C6H4),
127.9 (s, C5/C3H3N2), 133.6 (s, Ci/C6H4), 136.8 (s, C2/C3H3N2),
141.2 (s, Cp/C6H4). HRMS (ESI-TOF) C19H16FeN2 [M + nH]+
m/z: calcd: 329.0715, found: 329.0736.
General synthesis procedure for phosphines 11a–f
To 0.5 g of 3a (2.24 mmol), 3b (1.68 mmol), 5 (1.52 mmol), 7
(1.42 mmol) or 9 (2.01 mmol) dissolved in dry diethyl ether
(3a, 5, 7, 9, 40 mL) or tetrahydrofuran (3b, 40 mL) one eq of a
5386 | Dalton Trans., 2012, 41, 5377–5390
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012