4-Ferrocenylpyridine- and 4-ferrocenyl-3-ferrocenylmethyl-3,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles: multi-component synthesis, structures and electrochemistry.

The reactions of 2-cyano-3-ferrocenylacrylonitrile (1) with malononitrile (2) in a MeOH/H₂O or 2-PrOH/H₂O medium in the presence of Na₂CO₃ afforded 6-alkoxy-2-amino-4-ferrocenylpyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles 3a,b (multi-component condensation) and 6-alkoxy-2-amino-4-ferrocenyl-3-ferrocenylmethyl-3,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles 4a,b (multi-component cyclodimerization). Analogous reactions of 1 with 2 in an MeOH/H₂O medium in the presence of NaOH, piperidine, or morpholine gave compounds 3a, 4a and 2-amino-4-ferrocenyl-6-hydroxy-, 6-piperidino- and 6-morpholinopyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles 3c-e, respectively. The structures of the compounds 3b, 4a and 4b were established by the spectroscopic data and X-ray diffraction analysis. The electrochemical behaviour of compounds 3b, 3d and 4b was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry.