Synthesis of highly active ruthenium indenylidene complexes for atom-transfer radical polymerization and ring-opening-metathesis polymerization

Abstract

Two catalysts for the price of one: Air-stable ruthenium complexes 1 and 2 (L = PCy, 1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) are catalyst precursors for the atom-transfer radical polymerization of vinyl monomers. The catalytic activity is increased when the analogous cationic 14-electron complexes are used. Unusually, these complexes also show a very high activity for the ring-opening-metathesis polymerization of low-strain cyclic olefins.