Preparation of chiral C2-symmetrical 1,1'-disubstituted ferrocenes

A biocatalytic procedure for the resolution and concurrent desymmetrization of tetraacetoxyferrocene (±, meso)-2 is described. Enantiomerically pure (R,R)- and (S,S)-forms have been converted into the corresponding epoxide 6, a useful starting material for the preparation of polyfunctional C2-symmetric ferrocenes.