A dormant ruthenium catalyst bearing a chelating carboxylate ligand: In situ activation and application in metathesis reactions

Abstract

(Chemical Equation Presented) Sleeping beauty: A dormant catalyst, 1, can be activated in situ by various acids (HA) to form complexes 2 of high activity in olefin metathesis. After the reaction and when subjected to silica gel chromatography, these catalysts are readily transformed back into 1. This system shows a high degree of tunability and excellent applicability in model metathesis reactions. © 2007 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH S. Co. KGaA.