Potassium 1, 1-dimethyl-1, 2-dihydronaphthalenide, K (eboInd)(1), was synthesized in three steps from 4, 4-dimethyl-1-tetralone and used for the synthesis of half-open metallocenes containing an edge-bridged open indenyl ligand (eboInd). Successive treatment of [(THF) FeI2] with Li (C5Me5) and 1 at low temperatures afforded [(η5-C5Me5) Fe (η5-eboInd)](2), whereas [(η5-C5Me5) Ru (η5-eboInd)](3) was synthesized by reaction of 1 with [(C5Me5) ...