Electrochemical generation of a catalyst for Michael addition of dicarbonyl compounds and cyanide anion to acryloylferrocene

Michael addition of diethyl malonate, ethyl acetoacetate, acetylacetone, and cyanide anion to acryloylferrocene promoted by a catalyst in situ generated from a sacrificial zirconium anode is described. Most of the obtained compounds were identified by comparison of their spectral and physical data with those published elsewhere, whereas the only newly synthesized compound - diethyl 2,2-bis(3-ferrocenyl-3-oxopropyl)malonate - was completely characterized by spectral (IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR), physical and crystallographic (single-crystal X-ray) data.