Star-shaped polyferrocenes based on thiophene and triphenylamine: synthesis, spectroscopy and electrochemistry

Star-shaped tri- and tetra-ferrocenes anchored on triphenylamine or thiophene cores were obtained by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions in moderate to good yields. These polymetallic systems were characterized by NMR, UV–vis and mass spectral methods, elemental analyses and by electrochemical studies. As observed earlier for tris(ferrocenyl)benzenes, these complexes also lack electronic communication, however, a thorough analysis indicates an existence of electronic charge delocalization between the ferrocenyl moiety and the central core.