Ruthenium heteroatomic substituents

High oxidation state alkylidene complexes in which a heteroatom is bound to the alkylidene carbon atom are extremely rare [41]. Since the approach shown in Eq. 43 failed, the related approach shown in Eq. 44 was taken to prepare the medium-sized ring subunits [222]. The latter product was formed in good yield when n=2, R H, R2=Et, but only poor yield when n=2, R =Et, R2=H, possibly due to unfavorable interactions between the ethyl substituent and transannular groups in the transition state for cyclization of the allyl ether [222]. Ruthenium catalysts either failed or gave low yields, presumably because of the steric hindrance associated with ring-closing dienes of this type. 

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