Olefin Metathesis Directed to Organic Synthesis: Principles and Applications

Abstract

For many years after its discovery, olefin metathesis was hardly used as a synthetic tool. This situation changed when well-defined and stable carbene complexes of molybdenum and ruthenium were discovered as efficient precatalysts in the early 1990s. In particular, the high activity and selectivity in ring-closure reactions stimulated further research in this area and led to numerous applications in organic synthesis. Today, olefin metathesis is one of the most dynamic areas in organic synthesis and homogeneous catalysis. This contribution will focus on the development of ruthenium-based metathesis precatalysts with extended scope and their application in organic synthesis. Applications in polymer chemistry and in the total synthesis of complex natural products are not covered.