A facile one-pot three-component synthesis of ferrocene-grafted dispiro pyrrolidine/pyrrolizidine scaffolds through intermolecular [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of ferrocenyl Baylis–Hillman adduct

A one-pot synthesis of ferrocene-grafted dispiropyrrolidine/pyrrolizidine scaffolds has been accomplished in good yields through a facile 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of various azomethine ylides derived from diketones and secondary amino acids with Baylis–Hillman adduct derived from ferrocene carbaldehyde. The regiochemical and stereochemical outcomes of the cycloaddition reaction were ascertained by X-ray crystallographic studies of one of the cycloadducts.