Metathesis of a novel dienediyne system: A unique example involving the usage of in situ generated ethylene as cross-enyne metathesis partner

A unique example of sequential ring-closing metathesis and cross-enyne metathesis is reported. Here, the in situ generated ethylene by product from ring-closing metathesis is trapped by alkyne moiety. No metathesis product formation was observed with more reactive second generation catalyst in the absence of ethylene. Differential chemoselectivity with the first and second generation Grubbs’ catalyst has been observed when the reaction was performed in presence of the external source of ethylene.     

Electrochemically reduced tungsten‐based active species as catalysts for cross‐metathesis reactions: cross‐metathesis of non‐functionalized olefins

The electrochemical reduction of WCl₆ results in the formation of an active olefin (alkene) metathesis catalyst. The application of the WCl₆–e^?–Al–CH₂Cl₂ catalyst system to cross‐metathesis reactions of non‐functionalized acyclic olefins is reported. Undesirable reactions, such as double‐bond shift isomerization and subsequent metathesis, were not observed in these reactions. Cross‐metathesis of 7‐tetradecene with an equimolar amount of 4‐octene generated the desired cross‐product, 4‐undecene, in good yield. The reaction of 7‐tetradecene with 2‐octene, catalyzed by electrochemically reduced tungsten hexachloride, resulted in both self‐ and cross‐metathesis products. The cross‐metathesis products, 2‐nonene and 6‐tridecene, were formed in larger amounts than the self‐metathesis products of 2‐octene. The optimum catalyst/olefin ratio and reaction time were found to be 1 : 60 and 24 h, respectively. The cross‐metathesis of symmetrical olefins with α‐olefins was also studied under the predetermined conditions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly active water-soluble olefin metathesis catalyst

A novel water-soluble ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst supported by a poly(ethylene glycol) conjugated saturated 1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene ligand is reported. The catalyst displays improved activity in ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ring-closing metathesis, and cross-metathesis reactions in aqueous media.     

Synthesis of 1,3-cyclohexadienes by tandem diene-alkyne metathesis: improved procedure

A practical synthesis of 2-substituted 1,3-cyclohexadienes by the cross enyne metathesis between alkynes and 1,5-hexadiene is reported. The isolation of the 1,3-cyclohexadienes has been hampered by the formation of an inseparable triene by-product. The use of a second consecutive cross alkene metathesis to give water-soluble products allowed removal of this by-product. Using this one-pot procedure, a synthesis of cyclohexadienes from simple starting materials was developed. The procedure was used in a three-step synthesis of a functionalized tetrahydroquinoline using Pd(II)-catalyzed chloroacetoxylation (Bäckvall reaction) for cyclohexadiene functionalization.     

Reversible aqueous metathesis reactions for potential application in dynamic combinatorial chemistry

Solutions of heterocycles having an allyl sulfide unit and simple alkenes in 50% t-BuOH/H₂O undergo reversible olefin metathesis reactions with the second generation Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst. The choice of functional groups is limited by competitive chelation of some heterocycles with the catalyst, and other stereoelectronic effects.     

Concise enantioselective synthesis of (−)-lasubine II

An enantioselective synthesis of the quinolizidine alkaloid (−)-lasubine II 1 is reported. Two different pathways to the key intermediate 2 are described. The first case involving a sequence of ring rearrangement metathesis (RRM), simple functional group interconversion operations, followed by a stereoselective cross metathesis (CM) and in the second case a domino ring opening-/ring closing-/cross metathesis step is involved. In both cases, following the metathesis reactions, exclusively the E-isomer was obtained. The final cyclisation towards the quinolizidine skeleton is achieved by an intramolecular Michael reaction. This concept represents the first example of a highly stereoselective RRM-CM combination in the synthesis of a natural product.     

Electrochemically reduced tungsten‐based active species as catalysts for cross‐metathesis reactions: cross‐metathesis of erucic acid with 2‐octene

The cross‐metathesis of erucic acid, (CH₃(CH₂)₇CH?CH(CH₂)₁₁COOH), with an excess of 2‐octene in the presence of an electrochemically produced tungsten‐based catalyst has been studied. Cross‐ and self‐hydrocarbon products, viz. 2‐undecene (C₁₁), 6‐dodecene (C₁₂) and 6‐pentadecene (C₁₅), were detected. The influence of several parameters, such as the 2‐octene/erucic acid and 2‐octene/catalyst ratios and the reaction time, on the yield of the cross‐metathesis product, 6‐pentadecene, was studied. The cross‐metathesis of functionalized olefins in the presence of an Al–e^?–WCl₆–CH₂Cl₂ system has not been reported in the literature so far. The cross‐metathesis products in the presence of this catalyst system can be obtained with high yield and high specificity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chloro-substituted Hoveyda-Grubbs ruthenium carbene: Investigation of electronic effects

A series of applications of cross and ring-closing metathesis has been made to investigate the application profile of the chloro-substituted Hoveyda-Grubbs ruthenium carbene in order to evaluate electronic effects resulting from the introduction of a chlorine atom para to the isopropoxy moiety of its parent catalyst.     

Sequential Baylis-Hillman/RCM protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of (+)-MK7607 and (+)-streptol

Sequential Baylis-Hillman/ring-closing metathesis (RCM) approach toward the total synthesis of (+)-MK7607 and (+)-streptol starting from (R,R)-tartaric acid is reported.     

Synthesis of triblock copolymers—(polyA-poly butadiene-polyA)—via metathesis polymerization

A series of triblock copolymers of the type A-B-A were synthesized using tungsten chloride-anchored hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPBD) catalyst. Monomers like phenylacetylene (PA), norbornene (NBE), cyclooctadiene (COD), and cyclopentene (CP) were polymerized via metathesis pathway using this catalyst. The efficiency of this anchored catalyst in producing A-B-A triblock copolymers was explored and compared under the same experimental conditions like solvent system and reaction temperature. This anchored catalyst upon reaction with PA produced polyPA-block-polyBD-block-polyPA in high yield and with low polydispersity (pdi) compared to HTPBD. The formation of the triblock copolymers by this method was evinced by NMR, TGA, and GPC data as well as by delinking and inverse addition studies. All the cycloalkenes polymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with the catalyst and yielded triblock copolymers. The mode of synthesis of triblocks could be construed as switching the mechanism of polymerization from radical to olefin metathesis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2601–2610, 1998     

关环复分解反应(RCM)及其催化剂研究进展

综述了近年来关环复分解 (RCM )反应及其催化剂的研究进展 ,对RCM反应发展以来被广泛应用的催化剂 ,如Schrock催化剂和Grubbs催化剂等进行了归纳和总结 ,讨论了RCM反应在全合成中的应用     

Synthesis of 2′-O,3′-O bicyclic adenosine analogues using ring closing metathesis

The synthesis of 2′-O,3′-O bicyclic adenosine derivatives is presented as the first examples of a new family of 13-membered ring bicyclic nucleoside analogues. Cyclisation was achieved through ring closing metathesis (RCM) on a diene intermediate using Grubbs’ catalyst. The Z and E isomers were purified and characterised.     

Latent ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts featuring a phosphine or an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand

The synthesis and characterization of latent 18-electron ruthenium benzylidene complexes (PCy₃)((^κN,O)-picolinate)₂RuCHPh (5) and (H₂IMes)((^κN,O)-picolinate)₂RuCHPh (6) are described. Both complexes appear as two isomers. The ratio between the isomers is dependent on l-type ligand. The complexes are inactive in ring-closing metathesis and ring-opening metathesis polymerization reactions even at elevated temperatures in the absence of stimuli. Upon addition of HCl, complexes 5 and 6 become highly active in olefin metathesis reactions. The advantage of the latent catalysts is demonstrated in the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene, where the latency of 6 assures adequate mixing of catalyst and monomer before initiation. Trapping experiments suggests that the acid converts the 18-electron complexes into their corresponding highly olefin metathesis active 14-electron benzylidenes.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of highly substituted polycyclic scaffolds via a one-pot four-step tandem catalytic process

A rapid and diastereoselective synthesis of highly substituted aminobicyclo[4.3.0]nonanes and bicyclo[4.4.0]decanes from alkyne derived allylic alcohols has been developed using a one-pot multi-bond forming tandem catalytic process. Overman rearrangement of the allylic trichloroacetimidates was followed by a ring closing enyne metathesis/cross metathesis sequence of reactions, in which both steps were catalysed by Grubbs second generation catalyst. The resulting exo-diene was then subjected to a hydrogen bonding directed Diels–Alder reaction forming an endo-adduct as a single diastereomer. Variation of the cross metathesis partner and dienophile allowed examination of the scope of this one-pot process and the preparation of a diverse series of highly substituted polycyclic scaffolds.     

Synthesis of unsaturated 1,4-heteroatom-containing benzo-fused heterocycles using a sequential isomerization-ring-closing metathesis strategy

A small library of 1,4-benzodioxins and 4H-1,4-benzoxazines was synthesized from the corresponding bis-allyloxy precursors by way of an initial isomerization to the bis-vinyloxy compounds, followed by a ring-closing metathesis using the second generation Grubbs' catalyst (G2). A related strategy, starting from benzene-1,2-dithiol and 2-mercaptophenol, afforded benzodithiin and 1,4-benzoxathiin, respectively.     

The influence of N-heterocyclic carbene steric and electronic properties in Ru-catalysed cross metathesis reactions

The present study examines the influence of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand electronic and steric parameters on the activity of ruthenium indenylidene complexes in cross metathesis. The NHC ligands tested lead to varied E/Z selectivities with the pre-catalyst bearing an IMes ligand exhibiting high activity.     

Use of a Baylis-Hillman adduct in the stereoselective synthesis of syributins via a RCM protocol

The total synthesis of syributins 1 and 2 using the Baylis-Hillman adduct of 2,3-O-isopropylidene-R-glyceraldehyde-ethyl acrylate as starting material followed by ring closing metathesis (RCM) of the acrylate derivative of the ensuing diol as the key step is reported.     

In an attempt to provide a user's guide to the galaxy of benzylidene, alkoxybenzylidene, and indenylidene ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts

The data reported in this paper demonstrate that great care must be taken when choosing an appropriate catalyst for a given metathesis reaction. First-generation catalysts were found to be useful in the metathesis of sterically unhindered substrates. Second-generation catalysts (under optimised conditions) showed good to excellent activities toward sterically hindered and electron-withdrawing group (EWG)-substituted alkenes that do not react using the first-generation complexes. A strong temperature effect was noted on all of the reactions tested. Interestingly, attempts to force a reaction by increasing the catalyst loading were much less effective. Therefore, when possible, it is suggested that metathesis transformations should be carried out with a second-generation catalyst at 70 degrees C in toluene. However, different second-generation catalysts proved to be optimal for different applications and no single catalyst outperformed all others in all cases. Nevertheless, some empirical rules can be deduced from the model experiments, providing preliminary hints for the selection of the optimal catalysts.     

As low as reasonably achievable catalyst loadings in the cross metathesis of olefins with ethyl acrylate

A series of ruthenium catalysts for olefin metathesis have been screened in the cross metathesis of 1,9-decadiene with ethyl acrylate. Under optimized reaction conditions a catalyst loading of only 100 ppm in respect to double bonds was sufficient for complete conversion of the diene.     

First stereoselective total synthesis of Phomolide G and H via RCM protocol

A first total synthetic route has been reported for the synthesis of Phomolide G and H. The syntheses of fragments were initiated from commercially available and inexpensive starting material (R)-epichlorohydrin. The synthesis involves a key Sharpless epoxidation, stereoselective epoxide opening, lactonization and ring closing metathesis (RCM).