Anionic Ligand Exchange in Hoveyda−Grubbs Ruthenium(II) Benzylidenes

Steric and electronic effects in latent S-chelated olefin metathesis catalysts

In this work, the structure, latency, and activity of twelve sulfur-chelated ruthenium precatalysts were studied by systematically varying their ligand shell.

It is Better with Salt: Aqueous Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization at Neutral pH

Aqueous ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is a powerful tool for polymer synthesis under environmentally friendly conditions, functionalization of biomacromolecules, and preparation of polymeric nanoparticles via ROMP-induced self-assembly (ROMPISA). Although new water-soluble Ru-based metathesis catalysts have been developed and evaluated for their efficiency in mediating cross metathesis (CM) and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions, little is known with regards to their catalytic activity and stability during aqueous ROMP. Here, we investigate the influence of solution pH, the presence of salt additives, and catalyst loading on ROMP monomer conversion and catalyst lifetime. We find that ROMP in aqueous media is particularly sensitive to chloride ion concentration and propose that this sensitivity originates from chloride ligand displacement by hydroxide or H2O at the Ru center, which reversibly generates an unstable and metathesis inactive complex. The formation of this Ru-(OH)n complex not only reduces monomer conversion and catalyst lifetime but also influences polymer microstructure. However, we find that the addition of chloride salts dramatically improves ROMP conversion and control. By carrying out aqueous ROMP in the presence of various chloride sources such as NaCl, KCl, or tetrabutylammonium chloride, we show that diblock copolymers can be readily synthesized via ROMPISA in solutions with high concentrations of neutral H2O (i.e., 90 v/v%) and relatively low concentrations of catalyst (i.e., 1 mol %). The capability to conduct aqueous ROMP at neutral pH is anticipated to enable new research avenues, particularly for applications in biological media, where the unique characteristics of ROMP provide distinct advantages over other polymerization strategies.

Decomposition of Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst

Ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts are one of the most commonly used class of catalysts. There are multiple reviews on their uses in various branches of chemistry and other sciences but a detailed review of their decomposition is missing, despite a large number of recent and important advances in this field. In particular, in the last five years several new mechanism of decomposition, both olefin-driven as well as induced by external agents, have been suggested and used to explain differences in the decomposition rates and the metathesis activities of both standard, N-heterocyclic carbene-based systems and the recently developed cyclic alkyl amino carbene-containing complexes. Here we present a review which explores the last 30 years of the decomposition studied on ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst driven by both intrinsic features of such catalysts as well as external chemicals.

Unprecedented Selectivity of Ruthenium Iodide Benzylidenes in Olefin Metathesis Reactions

The development of selective olefin metathesis catalysts is crucial to achieving new synthetic pathways. Herein, we show that cis-diiodo/sulfur-chelated ruthenium benzylidenes do not react with strained cycloalkenes and internal olefins, but can effectively catalyze metathesis reactions of terminal dienes. Surprisingly, internal olefins may partake in olefin metathesis reactions once the ruthenium methylidene intermediate has been generated. This unexpected behavior allows the facile formation of strained cis-cyclooctene by the RCM reaction of 1,9-undecadiene. Moreover, cis-1,4-polybutadiene may be transformed into small cyclic molecules, including its smallest precursor, 1,5-cyclooctadiene, by the use of this novel sequence. Norbornenes, including the reactive dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), remain unscathed even in the presence of terminal olefin substrates as they are too bulky to approach the diiodo ruthenium methylidene. The experimental results are accompanied by thorough DFT calculations.

Ammonium NHC-tagged olefin metathesis catalysts – influence of counter-ions on catalytic activity

Ruthenium-based catalysts bearing quaternary ammonium groups in their N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) fragments and different counter-ions were synthesised and tested in various olefin metathesis transformations.

Amino acids as chiral anionic ligands for ruthenium based asymmetric olefin metathesis

Several amino acid ligands were introduced into the Hoveyda-Grubbs 2nd generation complex by a facile anionic ligand exchange. The chiral pre-catalysts obtained displayed enantioselectivity in asymmetric ring-closing and ring-opening cross-metathesis reactions. Reduction of the lability of the carboxylate ligands was found to be cardinal for improving the observed enantiomeric product enrichment.

Theory-assisted development of a robust and Z-selective olefin metathesis catalyst

DFT calculations have predicted a new, highly Z-selective ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalyst that is considerably more robust than the recently reported (SIMes)(Cl)(RS)RuCH(o-OiPrC6H4) (3a, SIMes = 1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene, R = 2,4,6-triphenylbenzene) [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135, 3331]. Replacing the chloride of 3a by an isocyanate ligand to give 5a was predicted to increase the stability of the complex considerably, at the same time moderately improving the Z-selectivity. Compound 5a is easily prepared in a two-step synthesis starting from the Hoveyda-Grubbs second-generation catalyst 3. In agreement with the calculations, the isocyanate-substituted 5a appears to be somewhat more Z-selective than the chloride analogue 3a. More importantly, 5a can be used in air, with unpurified and non-degassed substrates and solvents, and in the presence of acids. These are traits that are unprecedented among highly Z-selective olefin metathesis catalysts and also very promising with respect to applications of the new catalyst.

Studies on CH3CN-assisted decomposition of 1st Grubbs catalyst by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The CH(3)CN-assisted decomposition reaction of the 1(st) Grubbs catalyst (1) was studied using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). We detected a series of Ru-intermediates and decomposition products by off-line and on-line ESI-MS(/MS) monitoring of the decomposition process. In particular, an on-line microreactor method was applied with ESI-MS/MS to profile the change and relationship of various Ru-intermediates by controlling the reaction within the first 30 s of its time scale. The main fast decomposition mechanism of Ru-catalyst 1 in the presence of CH(3)CN was similar to that proposed by Grubbs, and this was confirmed by detecting the (PhCH(2)PCy(3))(+) ion at m/z 371 as the major decomposition products with ESI-MS. We also studied the time evolution of the transient reactive Ru-intermediate ions step by step with ESI-MS/MS and detected the C-H bond activation products of toluene--dehydrogenated PCy(3), such as P(Cy)(2)(C(6)H(9)), P(Cy)(2)Ph--by analyzing the decomposition reaction solution by gas chromatography (GC)/MS. The mechanism of another minor decomposition pathway involving the phosphine activation of catalyst 1 was proposed on the basis of the ESI-MS(/MS) interception and characterization of the transient reactive Ru-species in the decomposition reaction solution. Finally the coordination effect of the CH(3)CN in assisting the decomposition and stabilizing the transient Ru-complexes is discussed.

Halide exchanged Hoveyda-type complexes in olefin metathesis

The aims of this contribution are to present a straightforward synthesis of 2^nd generation Hoveyda-type olefin metathesis catalysts bearing bromo and iodo ligands, and to disclose the subtle influence of the different anionic co-ligands on the catalytic performance of the complexes in ring opening metathesis polymerisation, ring closing metathesis, enyne cycloisomerisation and cross metathesis reactions.