Intramolecular hydrogen bonds and conformations of ferrocenyl- and nonamethylferrocenylcarbinols

Abstract The character of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in ferrocenyl- and nonamethylferrocenylcarbinols has been determined from their IR spectra and on the basis of molecular mechanics calculations. The intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the OH⋯ Fe type are formed when the steric requirements of the substituents at the carbinol carbon atom and Cp rings make the corresponding conformations energetically favourable. The correlation of proton-donating ability of the ferrocenyl- and nonamethylferrocenlcarbinols relative to the stability of intramolecular hydrogen bonds is discussed.