Grubbs functionality

Olefin-metathesis is a useful tool for the formation of unsaturated C-C bonds in organic synthesis.186 The most widely used catalysts for olefin metathesis include alkoxyl imido molybdenum complex (Schrock catalyst)187 and benzylidene ruthenium complex (Grubbs catalyst).188 The former is air- and moisture-sensitive and has some other drawbacks such as intolerance to many functional groups and impurities the latter has increased tolerance to water and many reactions have been used in aqueous solution without any loss of catalytic efficiency. 

Another example of an efficient domino RCM is the synthesis of the highly functionalized tricyclic ring system 6/3-72 by Hanna and coworkers [252], which is the core structure of the diterpene guanacastepene A (6/3-73) (Scheme 6/3.21) [253]. Reaction of 6/3-71 in the presence of 10 mol% of Grubbs II catalyst 6/3-15 led to 6/3-372 in 93 % yield. Interestingly, the first-generation Ru-catalyst 6/3-13 did not allow any transformation. 

In 2003, Efskind and Undheim reported dienyne and triyne domino RCMs of appropriately functionalized substrates with Grubbs type II or I catalysts (Scheme 6.71, reactions a and b, respectively) [151]. While the thermal processes (toluene, 85 °C) required multiple addition of fresh catalyst (3 x 10 mol%) over a period of 9 h to furnish a 92% yield of product, microwave irradiation for 10 min at 160 °C (5 mol% catalyst, toluene) led to full conversion. The authors ascribe the dramatic rate enhancement to rapid and uniform heating of the reaction mixture and increased catalyst lifetime through the elimination of wall effects. In some instances, use of the Grubbs I catalyst was more efficient than use of the more common Grubbs II equivalent. 

The ruthenium carbene catalysts 1 developed by Grubbs are distinguished by an exceptional tolerance towards polar functional groups [3]. Although generalizations are difficult and further experimental data are necessary in order to obtain a fully comprehensive picture, some trends may be deduced from the literature reports. Thus, many examples indicate that ethers, silyl ethers, acetals, esters, amides, carbamates, sulfonamides, silanes and various heterocyclic entities do not disturb. Moreover, ketones and even aldehyde functions are compatible, in contrast to reactions catalyzed by the molybdenum alkylidene complex 24 which is known to react with these groups under certain conditions [26]. Even unprotected alcohols and free carboxylic acids seem to be tolerated by 1. It should also be emphasized that the sensitivity of 1 toward the substitution pattern of alkenes outlined above usually leaves pre-existing di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted double bonds in the substrates unaffected. A nice example that illustrates many of these features is the clean dimerization of FK-506 45 to compound 46 reported by Schreiber et al. (Scheme 12) [27]. 

Although RCM technology has been known for over 15 years, early examples utilized poorly defined and inefficient catalyst systems which exhibited limited functional group tolerance [2]. These factors made the process unsuitable for most synthetic applications. The recent explosive growth in the area can be attributed primarily to the work of Schrock [3] and Grubbs [4], who developed the stable, well-defined and efficient metathesis initiators 1,2 and 3 (Fig. 1). 

With the development of an analogous ruthenium benzylidene catalyst 17 by Grubbs and co-workers in 1995, a ruthenium carbene catalyst suitable for the cross-metathesis reaction was in place [34]. Benzylidene 17 exhibited the same impressive tolerance of air and moisture, and the same stability towards functional groups as its predecessor 4, but benefited from easier preparation [35,36] and much improved initiation rates. 

For the cross-metathesis of functionalised alkenes the ill-defined classical catalyst systems currently offer very few advantages (cost and heterogeneous catalysis) over the more functional group tolerant Schrock and Grubbs alkylidene... 

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