Ferrocenes with a Persulfurated Cyclopentadienyl Ring: Synthesis, Structural Studies, and Optoelectronic Properties

Abstract

Persulfurated arenes are a fascinating class of functional molecules with a wide range of potential applications. Ferrocenes are also a multifaceted class of aromatic compounds that can easily be finetuned for an enormous variety of desired properties. A combination of both substance classes might yield an even wider field of applications. Herein, we describe the synthesis of two ferrocenes with one persulfurated cyclopentadienyl ring [C5(SR)5], with R=Me or Ph, together with their crystal structures, optical, and electrochemical properties. Both crystal structures show significant intramolecular sulfur-iron interactions as well as weak intermolecular sulfur– contacts. Cyclovoltammetry of the [C5(SPh)5] compound shows a high oxidation potential of 651 mV vs. FcH/FcH+.