Four 1-chloromercurio-1'-arylferrocenes were first isolated by chromatographic separation from the reaction mixture produced by the mercuration of arylferrocenes with mercuric acetate in dichloromethane-methanol, followed by the addition of lithium chloride, and were readily converted into four corresponding 1-iodo-1'-arylferrocenes by treatment with iodine in dichloromethane. Biferrocene and three 1',1'''-diarylbiferrocenes were synthesized by [ClRh(CO)~2]~2 catalyzed coupling reaction of the corresponding mercurials.

Key words: IODINATION REACTION, CATALYTIC REACTION, COUPLING REACTION