Question

Name 2 industrial uses of ferrocene or R ferrocene based compounds.

Answer 1

Fuel additives: One of the most important applications for ferrocene is its use as an additive for promoting the smokeless combustion of fuels. Comparatively low concentrations of ferrocene have a marked effect upon carbon formation, and appear to catalyze the oxidation of soot. Further, ferrocene has demonstrated antiknock properties for use in fuels for spark-ignition engines.       
In Pharmaceutical industry: chiral ferrocene based chelating ligands are useful for the industrial preparation of many optically active compounds. One example is the synthesis of the precursor of herbicide (S)-metolachlor. In addition some ferrocenium salts exhibit anticancer or antimalarial activity.