An efficient, scalable synthesis of ferrocenylphosphine and dichloroferrocenylphosphine

A new synthetic route to FcPH 2 and FcPCl 2 (Fc = ferrocenyl) is presented. This method avoids the challenging monolithiation of ferrocene, as well as any tedious purification steps. All reactions are high yielding and easily conducted on a relatively large scale, using economical and commercially available synthetic precursors. The fundamental synthetic building blocks FcPH 2 and FcPCl 2 are obtained in high yield and excellent purities via the fully regiospecific electrophilic monofunctionalisation of ferrocene with P 4 S 10 , thus replacing inconvenient t BuLi based procedures.