Selective hydration of ferrocenylethyne mediated by a palladium complex with a camphorhydrazone ligand

Abstract

Complex [PdCl2L2], where L is a camphor hydrazone ligand, (1R,4S)-1,7,7-trimethyl-3-(2,2-dimethylhydrazone)-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dione, efficiently promotes Markovnikov hydration of ethynylferrocene to acetylferrocene in aqueous methanol at room temperature. 1-Ferrocenylprop-1-yne and simple organic alkynes such as 1-octyne or ethynylbenzenes are not affected or polymerize under the reaction conditions.