Preparation and characterization of new chiral ferrocenyl selenides

We report the synthesis of chiral ferrocenyl selenides of general formula: Fe(C5H4SeR*)(C5H5) and Fe(C5H4SeR*)2 where R* = neomenthyl and cis-myrtanyl. The title compounds have been obtained by the straightforward reaction of 1,1′-dilithioferrocene-TMEDA adduct with either (+)-dineomenthyl diselenide or (−)-bis(cis-myrtanyl) diselenide. We also report herein on the X-ray crystal structure of known 1,1′-bis(phenylseleno)ferrocene, Fe(C5H4SePh)2. All newly-obtained derivatives were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, mass spectra and elemental analyses.