Molybdenum-Catalyzed Enantioselective Ring-Closing Metathesis/Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Planar-Chiral 1,1′-Diallylferrocenes

The molybdenum-catalyzed enantioselective ring-closing metathesis/kinetic resolution of a series of racemic planar-chiral 1,1′-diallylferrocene derivatives was reinvestigated utilizing the method of generating catalytically active chiral molybdenum-alkylidene species in situ, which allowed us to examine a variety of chiral molybdenum-alkylidene metathesis precatalysts in the present asymmetric reaction. With the catalyst screening experiments conducted in this study, the more practical reaction conditions, including a choice of a proper chiral molybdenum precatalyst, giving planar-chiral ferrocenes of higher enantiomeric purity and better chemoselectivity could be optimized.