Dienes, acyclic intramolecular metathesis

As stated above, olefin metathesis is in principle reversible, because all steps of the catalytic cycle are reversible. In preparatively useful transformations, the equilibrium is shifted to one side. This is most commonly achieved by removal of a volatile alkene, mostly ethene, from the reaction mixture. An obvious and well-established way to classify olefin metathesis reactions is depicted in Scheme 2. Depending on the structure of the olefin, metathesis may occur either inter- or intramolecularly. Intermolecular metathesis of two alkenes is called cross metathesis (CM) (if the two alkenes are identical, as in the case of the Phillips triolefin process, the term self metathesis is sometimes used). The intermolecular metathesis of an a,co-diene leads to polymeric structures and ethene this mode of metathesis is called acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET). Intramolecular metathesis of these substrates gives cycloalkenes and ethene (ring-closing metathesis, RCM) the reverse reaction is the cleavage of a cyclo-... 

Dienes are cyclized by intramolecular metathesis. In particular, cyclic alkenes 43 and ethylene are formed by the ring-closing metathesis of the a,co-diene 46. This is the reverse reaction of ethenolysis. Alkene metathesis is reversible, and usually an equilibrium mixture of alkenes is formed. However, the metathesis of a,co-dienes 46 generates ethylene as one product, which can be removed easily from reaction mixtures to afford cyclic compounds 43 nearly quantitatively. This is a most useful reaction, because from not only five to eight membered rings, but also macrocycles can be prepared by RCM under high-dilution conditions. However, it should be noted that RCM is an intramolecular reaction and competitive with acyclic diene metathesis polymerization (ADMET), which is intermolecular to form the polymer 47. In addition, the polymer 47 may be formed by ROMP of the cyclic compounds 43. 

Intramolecular metathesis of the cyclic-acyclic diene 48 affords the rearranged products 50 by reconstruction of the ring via 49. 

In the ring-closing metathesis reaction, intramolecular metathesis closes a ring to form a small cyclic molecule with concurrent loss of a small molecule (ethylene). Conversely, in the case of the acyclic diene metathesis reaction, macromolecules are formed by successive intermolecular condensation of two olefinic molecules [1],... 

Ri r3 In an alkene metathesis two alkenes react with an appropriate catalyst to form two new alkenes. There are different types of alkene pj2 r4 metathesis reactions The intermolecular reaction is called cross metathesis (CM), whereas intramolecular metathesis is divided into ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and ring-opening metathesis (ROM). Also two polymerization versions of alkene metathesis exist metathesis polymerization of acyclic dienes and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). 

The metathesis of acyclic alkadienes and polyenes may follow an inter- or intramolecular pathway. The intramolecular metathesis of an a,tfi-diene yields ethylene and a cyclic alkene, while the intermolecular reaction results primarily in the formation of ethylene and a symmetric triene (eq. (2)). The loss of a small molecule like ethylene serves to drive the equilibrium to the product side. 

Acyclic diene molecules are capable of undergoing intramolecular and intermolec-ular reactions in the presence of certain transition metal catalysts molybdenum alkylidene and ruthenium carbene complexes, for example [50, 51]. The intramolecular reaction, called ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM), affords cyclic compounds, while the intermolecular reaction, called acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization, provides oligomers and polymers. Alteration of the dilution of the reaction mixture can to some extent control the intrinsic competition between RCM and ADMET. 

The homoallylation product 16a presumably stems from oxidative cycloaddition of a Ni(0) species across the diene and aldehyde moieties of 15, leading to an oxanickellacycle intermediate 17 (path A, Scheme 5), which undergoes 0-bond metathesis with triethylsilane giving rise to a o-allylnickel 19. On the other hand, formation of 16b may start with addition of a Ni - H species upon the diene followed by intramolecular nucleophilic allylation as described in Eqs. 4-6 (path B). Alternatively, allylic transposition of the NiH group providing 20 from 19 may be related to the formation of 16b. The different reactivity between cyclohexadiene and many other acyclic dienes is also observed for the reaction undertaken under typical homoallylation conditions (see Scheme 14). 

This intramolecular reaction results in the formation of a cyclic system, and therefore it is called ring-closing metathesis (RCM). In this process a diene 36 is treated with a metal alkylidene 37. Two competing pathways are available via the intermediate metal alkylidene 38 A) RCM will occur to afford cyclic adducts 39 and B) intermolecular reaction can occur to form polymeric structures 40 (acyclic diene metathesis polymerization (ADMET)). The reaction is also complicated because of the possibility of ring-opening metathesis (ROM), the retro reaction of path A, and ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) (path C).13... 

Note that the acyclic diene metathesis reaction [scheme (22)] and the ringclosing metathesis reaction [scheme (23)] are inter- and intramolecular displays of the same mechanistic event [1] ... 

Unsaturated polymers can be produced by means of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic alkenes. These unique polymers can also be produced via intermolecular Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET). Dienes can also react intramolecularly via Ring Closing Metathesis (RCM) to afford cyclic products. RCM is often applied to synthesis of compounds for fine chemical and pharmaceutical application. Generic examples of these reactions are shown in Figure 2. 

---