Alkenes in metathesis

Ruthenium Allenylidenes and Indenylidenes as Catalysts in Alkene Metathesis... 

In 1998 it was revealed that allenylidene-ruthenium complexes, arising simply from propargylic alcohols, were efficient precursors for alkene metathesis [12], This discovery first initiated a renaissance in allenylidene metal complexes as possible alkene metathesis precursors, then it was observed and demonstrated that allenylidene-ruthenium complexes rearranged into indenylidene-ruthenium intermediates that are actually the real catalyst precursors. The synthesis of indenylidene-metal complexes and their efficient use in alkene metathesis are now under development. The interest in finding a convenient source of easy to make alkene metathesis initiators is currently leading to investigation of other routes to initiators from propargylic derivatives. 

The objective of this chapter is to report on these various aspects allenylidenes in alkene metathesis, their transformation into indenylidenes, alkene metathesis with indenylidene complexes, other propargylic derivatives as alkene metathesis initiators and their application in alkene metathesis. 

Moreover, Fiirstner shotved that tvhereas complex VIII was inactive for RCM reaction, its PCy3 analog IX was, in contrast, very active in a variety of RCM reactions. The latter is now commercially available and currently used in alkene metathesis (see Section 8.3 for further applications). 

Other closely related ruthenium-allenylidene were made and evaluated in alkene metathesis [32]. Werner et al. [49] also produced allenylidene complexes of analogous structure to that of the Grubbs catalyst, but containing hemilabile phosphine such as complex X (Scheme 8.9). However, the Ru—O bond may be too stable to initiate the rearrangement into indenylidene, the coordination of alkene and to become a catalyst. 

Indenylidene-Ruthenium Catalysts in Alkene Metathesis 265 Table 8.5 Diene and enyne RCM reactions with 2 mol% of complex XXb at room temperature. 

Indenyli dene-Ruthenium Catalysts in Alkene Metathesis 271... 

The elimination of a-hydrogen is not general and observed only with limited numbers of metal complexes. The elimination of a-hydrogen from the methyl group in the dimethylmetal complex 68 generates the metal hydride 69 and a carbene that coordinates to the metal. Liberation of methane by the reductive elimination generates the carbene complex 70. Formation of carbene complexes of Mo and Wis a key step in alkene metathesis. The a-elimination is similar to the 1,2-hydride shift observed in organic reactions. 

Chiral silver complexes bearing bidentate NHC ligands (24) have been synthesized. They are used in alkene metathesis and allylic alkylation reactions high diastereos- (g) electivity is observed induced by the chiral backbone on the prochiral biphenyl.27 Ruthenium-based complexes obtained from transmetalation with a Grubbs-Hoveyda complex exhibited high activities and enantioselectivities in ring-opening metathesis/ ... 

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