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Aluminum compounds with up to four ferrocenyl groups (Fc) linked to aluminum were prepared and characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 27Al NMR), and in one case, tri(ferrocenyl)aluminum-pyridine Fc3Al-py in the solid state by X-ray structural analysis. The attempts to stabilize the unsymmetrical species R2Al-Fc and RAl(Fc)2 (R = Me, Et) as the pyridine adducts were partially successful, although it proved difficult to suppress the formation of species containing Al–Cl functions completely.

Schisandrol A, a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan, was obtained by a simplified procedure from Schisandra chinensis fruits. Its reaction with carboxylic acids to give new esters (schisantherins) required special conditions such as microwave irradiation. An X-ray single crystal structure analysis of schisandrol A revealed a sterical shielding of the secondary OH group as the likely reason. The cinnamoate inhibited the P-gp drug transporters of multidrug-resistant human Kb-V1 cervix carcinoma cells better than the natural benzoate and comparable to the clinical sensitizer verapamil.

The reaction of ferrocenyllithium (FcLi, 1) with dimethyl or diethylaluminum chloride affords known mixed dimers 2 built from dialkyl(ferrocenyl))aluminium and dialkylaluminum chloride and also, depending on the reaction conditions, the unknown dimers from dialkyl(ferrocenyl)aluminum 3, of which the dimethyl derivative could be isolated in a pure state and characterised by X-ray structural analysis. The ferrocenyl group occupies the bridging position and there is a centre of inversion. The solution-state structures were determined by NMR spectroscopic methods (1H, 13C, 27Al NMR). The gas-phase structure of monomer FcAlH2 3(M) was optimised at the B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) level of theory.