Two distinct ferroceneyl carboxylate Pb(II) complexes with the same composition prepared by two different synthetic methods: The substitution of precursor and one-pot reaction

Through substituation reaction, one lead ferroceneyl carboxylate polymer, namely [Pb(μ2-OOCClH3C6Fc)2(phen)]n 1a [Fc = (η5-C5H5)Fe(η5-C5H4)] was synthesized from precursor [Pb(μ2-η2-OOCClH3C6Fc)2(CH3OH)2]n 1. However, a mononuclear Pb(II) complex {[Pb(η2-OOCClH3C6Fc)2(phen)]·(CH3OH)·(H2O)} 2 could be obtained from the traditional one-pot reaction of FcC6H3ClCOONa and Pb(OAc)2 with 1,10-phenantholine (phen). The electrochemical studies of 1, 1a, 2 and FcC6H3ClCOOH indicate that the half-wave potentials of the ferrocenyl moieties in these complexes are all shifted to positive potential compared with that of FcC6H3ClCOOH.