A first one-pot synthesis, isomerization and synthetic utility of mono- and bis Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts of 1,1′-ferrocenedialdehyde

A one-pot synthesis of mono- and bis-Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts of 1,1′-ferrocenedialdehyde has been achieved. These adducts undergo a facile and efficient stereoselective isomerization with a number of saturated, unsaturated, aromatic alcohols, phenols and thiophenol with a montmorillonite K10 clay catalyst to afford highly functionalized trisubstituted alkene derivatives of ferrocene. The synthetic utility of isomerized derivatives has been demonstrated by a ferrocene appended novel macrocycle synthesis, a ferrocenyl bis-triazole synthesis and an evaluation of the liquid crystalline property of a cholesterol derivative of ferrocene.