Production of ferrocene compounds

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING FERROCENE COMPOUNDS WHICH COMPRISES REDUCING FERRIC CHLORIDE DISSOLVED IN A SOLVENT IN WHICH BOTH FERRIC CHLORIDE AND FERROUS CHLORIDE ARE SOLUBLE TO FERROUS CHLORIDE WITH IRON, SAID SOLVENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SATURATED ALIPHATIC, MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOLS HAVING 1-4 CARBONS, ETHYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCEROL, FORMAMIDE, LOWER ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED FORMAMIDE, N-LOWER ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED PYRROLIDONE, ACETONITRILE, AND ESTERS OF LOWER, SATURATED, ALIPHATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND LOWER, SATURATED, MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOLS, ADDING TO THE RESULTING SOLUTION A STRONG ORGANIC BASE, THEREAFTER INTRODUCING INTO THE REACTION MIXTURE A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CYCLOPENTADIENE AND ALKYLSUBSTITUTED CYCLOPENTADIENES WITH ONE TO FOUR CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYL GROUP, AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING THE RESULTANT FERROCENE COMPOUND FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE.