N‑Cobaltocenium Amide as Reactive Nucleophilic Reagent for Donor–Acceptor Bimetallocenes

Deprotonation of the aminocobaltocenium ion [Cc-NH2]+ ([H-1]+) generates the nucleophilic imine CcNH (1). Reaction of 1 with acid chlorides R–COCl (R = Ph, Fc, and Cc+) yields the reference amide [Ph-CO-NH-Cc]+ (2+) and the amide-linked hetero- and homobimetallocenes [Fc-CO-NH-Cc]+ (3+) and [Cc-CO-NH-Cc]2+ (42+), respectively. Cation–anion interactions of charged amides 2+–42+ in the solid state and in solution are probed by single crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR and IR spectroscopy. Intramolecular metal–metal interactions in donor–acceptor heterobimetallocene 3+ and in mixed-valent homobimetallocene 4+ (prepared electrochemically) are discussed within the Marcus–Hush framework aided by spectroelectrochemical experiments and time-dependent density functional theory calculations.