Metathesis reactions indenylidene catalysts

Two observations initiated a strong motivation for the preparation of indenylidene-ruthenium complexes via activation of propargyl alcohols and the synthesis of allenylidene-ruthenium intermediates. The first results from the synthesis of the first indenylidene complexes VIII and IX without observation of the expected allenylidene intermediate [42-44] (Schemes 8.7 and 8.8), and the initial evidence that the well-defined complex IX was an efficient catalyst for alkene metathesis reactions [43-44]. The second observation concerned the direct evidence that the well-defined stable allenylidene ruthenium(arene) complex Ib rearranged intramo-lecularly into the indenylidene-ruthenium complex XV via an acid-promoted process [22, 23] (Scheme 8.11) and that the in situ prepared [33] or isolated [34] derivatives XV behaved as efficient catalysts for ROMP and RCM reactions. 

The control of alkene geometry in RCM reactions has been an area of intense research and interest since the process was first developed. While a general solution to this challenge has not yet been developed, intriguing observations of E Z control in macrocyclizations continue to be reported. For example, in the course of their studies on the synthesis of herbarumin I and II, Fiirstner and co-workers reported the selective formation of either of the two isomeric alkene products 16 or 17 via RCM of diene 15 <02JA7061> (Scheme 8). The diene 15 was transformed into the -alkene 17 using the ruthenium indenylidene catalyst (Fiirstner Metathesis Catalyst FMC, <01MI4811>) while use of the MC2 led to clean formation of the Z-isomer 16. 

The allenylidene-mthenium complexes I also catalyze the enyne metathesis to alkenylcydoalkenes with a 1,3-diene stmcture. Initial studies showed the transformation of simple enynes with ether function [37] (Scheme 8.5). This reaction was significantly accelerated by initial catalyst photodiemical activation, which is now understood to favor the rearrangement of the allenylidene- into the active indenylidene-ruthenium moiety and arene displacement. 

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

One of the latest compounds of this class is the phoban-indenylidene complex XXVII, synthesized by Forman et al. in 2006 [60]. This robust catalyst was tested in self-metathesis and ethenolysis reactions of methyl oleate, giving rise to significantly... 

The 10-undecenoic acid motif has also been attached to isosorbide in the preparation of a fatty acid-/carbohydrate-based monomer [131]. ADMET polymerization in the presence of C3 and C4 produced fully renewable unsaturated polyesters (Scheme 18). Most importantly, the transesterification of these polyesters with MeOH, and subsequent analysis by GC-MS of the products, allowed for the quantification of double-bond isomerization during ADMET in a very simple manner. This strategy was then extended to fatty acid-based ADMET polyesters synthesized in the presence of indenylidene metathesis catalysts [132]. With these studies, the knowledge on the olefin isomerization in ADMET reactions was widened, and it is now possible to almost completely suppress this undesired side reaction. 

A class of olefin metathesis catalysts that contains phosphite ligands has advantages over current catalysts for some challenging reactions, such as ring-closing metatheses of hindered dienes. Cazin et al. [184] modified an existing ruthenium indenylidene metathesis catalyst with triisopropyl phosphite groups to form cis and trans phosphite complexes. 

From these studies, it was demonstrated that the alkene metathesis activity was not due to the allenylidene precursor, but due to the indenylidene ruthenium catalyst 6, which has a structure analogous to the Grubbs I catalyst [15, 17]. Both complexes generate the same RuCl2(=CFl2) intermediate upon reaction with a terminal alkene. 

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