Formation of pseudorotaxane induced by electrochemical oxidation of ferrocene-containing axis molecule in the presence of crown ether.

The electrochemical oxidation of aminomethylferrocenes in the presence of dibenzo[24]crown-8 affords pseudorotaxanes containing a ferrocenyl group in its axis moiety. The formation of the pseudorotaxanes results from formation of secondary ammonium ions by rapid electron transfer from the N atom to the initially formed Fe(III) state, followed by hydrogen atom transfer from TEMPOH to the N+*.