Carbynehydridoruthenium Complexes as Catalysts for the Selective,Ring-Opening Metathesis of Cyclopentene with Methyl Acrylate

The first members of a homologous series of long-chain, multiply unsaturated esters were obtained upon selective ring-opening metathesis of cyclopentene with methyl acrylate Eq. (a)]. The catalysts are cationic carbynehydridoruthenium complexes (e.g. L=OEt₂), which were prepared for the first time by protonation of hydridovinylideneruthenium compounds in the presence of L.