Mono- and Bimetallic Ruthenium-Arene Catalysts for Olefin Metathesis: A Survey

摘要

In this chapter, we summarize the main achievements of our group toward the development of easily accessible, highly efficient ruthenium–arene catalyst precursors for olefin metathesis. Major advances in this field are presented chronologically, with an emphasis on catalyst design and mechanistic details. The first part of this survey focuses on monometallic complexes with the general formula RuCl_2(p-cymene)(L), where L is a phosphine or N-heterocyclic carbene ancillary ligand. In the second part, we disclose recent developments in the synthesis and catalytic applications of homobimetallic ruthenium–arene complexes of generic formula (p-cymene)Ru(μ-Cl)_3RuCl(η~2-C_2H_4)(L) and their derivatives resulting from the substitution of the labile ethylene moiety with vinylidene, allenylidene, or indenylidene units.