Synthesis, spectroscopic, and substituent-dependent self-assembling structural characterization of ferrocenyl-containing silanediols, Fc(R)Si(OH)2, R = Me, CH2=CHCH2, n-Bu, t-Bu, Ph, c-Hx, including transformation to a ferrocenyl stannasiloxane, [OSiFc(n-Bu)O(t-Bu2)Sn]2

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/om010378l

The hydrolysis of ferrocenyldichlorosilanes, Fc(R)SiCl₂, Fc = (η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(η⁵-C₅ H₄), R = methyl (Me), 1a; 2-propenyl (allyl), 1b; n-butyl (n-Bu), 1c; tert-butyl (t-Bu), 1d; phenyl (Ph), 1e; cyclohexyl (c-Hex), 1f, leads to the formation of new ferrocenylsilanediols, Fc(R)Si(OH)₂, 2a-f. The diols have been characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, and ²⁹Si NMR, IR, UV/vis, and elemental analysis and in the case of 2d and 2f by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The latter two compounds reveal a primary double-chain structure of silanediols achieved via intermolecular hydrogen bonding, with further hydrogen bonding resulting in ladder structures. The reactivity of Fc(n-Bu)Si(OH)₂ was probed by its reaction with di-tert-butyldichlorostannane to form the distannadisiloxane [OSiFc(n-Bu)OSn(t-Bu)₂]₂, whose single-crystal structure was shown to be that of the cis isomer, which in solution formed a mixture of the cis and trans isomers.