Condensation of the O-protected hydroxyferrocene carbaldehyde (S-p)-1 with suitable diamines, followed by liberation of the hydroxyferrocene moiety leads to a new type of ferrocene-based salen ligands (3). While the use of ethylenediamine in the condensation reaction yields the planar-chiral ethylene-bridged ligand [(S-p,S-p)-3a], reaction with the enantiomers of trans-1,2-cyclohexylendiamine gives rise to the corresponding diastereomeric cyclohexylene-bridged systems [(S,S,S-p,S-p)-3b and (R,R,S-p,S-p)-3c], which feature a combination of a planar-chiral ferrocene unit with a centrochiral diamine backbone. Starting with the ferrocene-aldehyde derivative (Rp)-1, the enantiomeric ligand series (3d/e/f) is accessible via the same synthetic route.The (S-p)-series of these newly developed N2O2-type ligands was used for the construction of the corresponding mononuclear bis(isopropoxy) titanium (4a/b/c), methylaluminum (5a/b/c) and chloroaluminum- complexes (6a/b/c), which were isolated in good yields and identified by X-ray diffraction in several cases. The aluminum complexes (5/6) were successfully used in the Lewis-acid catalyzed addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to benzaldehyde, yielding the corresponding cyanohydrins in 45-62% enantiomeric excess. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.