Chromium(II)-imino-diacetate (IDA), -ethylenediaminetetra-acetate (EDTA) and -1,3-propanediamine-N,N'-diacetic-N,N'-dipropionate (PDADP) complexes were used as reagents in H2O-DMF solutions at 5 < pH < 7 for the preparation of ferrocenylketyl radicals, which could be isolated in solid form under argon in very good yields. Under similar reaction conditions chromium(II)-amino acid (glycine, alanine) complexes selectively reduced ferrocenyl ketones to the corresponding alcohols. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved