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Advances in design of latent ruthenium phenylindenylidene catalysts bearing salicylaldimine ligands for ring-opening metathesis polymerization are described. The presence of the substituents in ortho position in N-aryl ring of salicylaldimine ligand has been found to be the main factor determining the catalyst stability. The best of the studied catalysts after acid activation offers activity comparable to that of the dichloride systems in ring-opening metathesis polymerization of DCPD, while maintaining very high stability in the monomer solution.

A ruthenium Schiff base catalyst (5), bearing an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, was found to be a latent catalyst for the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cis,cis-1,5-cyclooctadiene and dicyclopentadiene and is activated efficiently on addition of hydrochloric acid. A benchmark study was performed using the Grubbs first (1), second (2), and third (3) generation catalyst. Results further illustrate that the catalyst can be stored in dicyclopentadiene at a monomer/catalyst ratio of 15,000/1 without any significant polymerization during at least 12 months. After activation of the catalyst with a Bronsted acid, no undesired loss of performance can be detected. This concept of activation can be easily adapted to a Reaction Injection Molding process, and reaction control is obtained via the in situ generation of the cocatalyst as the outcome of the reaction of alcohols with Lewis acids. Insight into the activation mechanism was gained through an in-depth nuclear magnetic resonance study, and a plausible mechanism is proposed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 302–310, 2010

We here report on the stability and catalytic activity of new indenylidene-Schiff base-ruthenium complexes 3a–f through representative cross-metathesis (CM) and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions. Excellent activity of the new complexes was found for the two selected RCM reactions; prominent conversion was obtained compared to the commercial Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst 2. Moreover, excellent results were obtained for a standard CM reaction. Higher conversions were achieved with one of the indenylidene catalysts compared with Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst. Unexpectedly, an isomerization reaction was observed during the CM reaction of allylbenzene. To the best of our knowledge, isomerization reactions in this model CM reaction in closed systems have never been described using first generation catalysts, including the Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst. The first model CM reactions as well as the RCM reactions have been monitored using 1H NMR. The course of the CM reaction of 3-phenylprop-1-ene (8) and cis-1,4-diacetoxybut-2-ene (9) was monitored by GC. The isomerization reaction was studied by means of GC-mass spectrometry and in situ IR spectroscopy. All catalysts were structurally characterized by means of 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy.

Second-generation catalysts of the general formula Cl2Ru(SIMes)(L)(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene), 3a (L = PCy3), 3b (L = PPh3), 3c (L = py), and Cl2Ru(SIMe)(L)(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene), 4a (L = PCy3), 4b (L = PPh3), 4c (L = py) were found to be of interest in various metathesis transformations. The catalysts containing SIMe ligands showed improved initiation compared to the more robust SIMes substituted catalysts. A strong temperature effect was noted on all of the reactions tested. Interestingly, complex 3a, showing the lowest initiation rate at room temperature, emerged as the most productive of all systems examined at elevated temperature. It is shown that complexes containing the SIMe ligand display higher initiation efficiency than their corresponding SIMes analogues. Since the higher initiation is related to the ease of phosphane dissociation while phosphane dissociation also promotes catalyst decomposition, complexes bearing the SIMe ligand decompose faster. The complete 1H, 13C and 31P resonance assignment and the procedure applied to obtain these from a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques, is also reported. Combined with the ROESY technique, these enabled to investigate several conformational processes involving rotations around N–phenyl and C–Ru bonds on the millisecond to second timescale. A clear correlation is demonstrated between the bulkiness of the axial ligand (L) and the rotational freedom of the SIMe(s) ligand. A qualitative analysis also suggests that the extra para-methyl of SIMes leads to additional steric interactions with the 3-phenylinden-1-ylidene ligand. The data reported in this paper demonstrates that substitution patterns of the N-aryl have a significant influence on the activity of the second-generation indenylidene catalysts for a given metathesis reaction.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

The paper presents recent work conducted in our group on the synthesis of a novel class of homogeneous and immobilized Ru- complexes containing Schiff bases as O,N-bidentate ligands benefiting from a versatile, quite general and thoroughly exemplified two- step procedure. The new Ru-complexes with improved stability incorporate a variety of Schiff bases, associated with traditional inorganic and organic ligands such as chloride, phosphanes, arenes, cyclodienes, NHC etc., and different carbenes (alkylidene, vinylidene, allenylidene and indenylidene). By a proper choice of the Schiff base, useful physical and chemical properties of the derived Ru- complexes could be induced resulting in tunable catalytic activity for metathesis and related processes. A pertinent example is the latency of selected Schiff base Ru catalysts which by becoming active only under specific conditions (heat or acid activation) are ideal for industrial applications, e.g. reaction injection molding processes. The synthetic approaches that are critically discussed in this artcile have led to a diversity of Ru-complexes of which several members have risen to the rank of commercial catalysts.

The synthesis of complexes of the general formula Cl2Ru(SIMes)(L)(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene) (5, L = PCy3; 6, L = py; and 7, L = PPh3) from Cl2Ru(PR3)2(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene) (2a, R = Ph; 2b, R = Cy) is reported. This family of olefin metathesis catalysts was fully characterized (1H, 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis) and provided excellent activity in the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 1,5-cyclooctadiene and the ring-closing metathesis of diethyl diallylmalonate. Comparison with the corresponding benzylidene-containing catalysts, 1a,c and 8b, established the decisive role of the carbene ligand on the procedure of the reaction and led to the observation of an unusual catalytic phenomenon, here called “self-inhibition”.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

A ruthenium based benzylidene complex bearing an O,N-bidentate Schiff base ligand exhibits poor olefin metathesis activity but generates a highly active catalyst system when treated with acidic cocatalysts. Various Lewis acids were able to boost the ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cycloocta-1,5-diene (COD). The best results were obtained with trichlorosilane (HSiCl3), which was also found to improve metathesis activity of the Grubbs second generation catalyst [RuCl2( CHPh)(H2IMes)(PCy3)] in the ROMP of COD and the ring closing metathesis (RCM) of diethyl diallylmalonate.

A concise overview is given on mononuclear and dinuclear, bidentate Schiff base ruthenium complexes with different additional ligands and on their applications in various chemical transformations such as Kharasch addition, enol-ester synthesis, alkyne dimerization, olefin metathesis and atom transfer radical polymerization. These new ruthenium complexes, conveniently prepared from commonly available ruthenium compounds, are very stable, exhibit a good tolerance towards organic functionalities, air and moisture and display high activity and chemoselectivity in chemical transformations. Relevant features of coordination chemistry connected with the reaction mechanism and chemoselectivity are also fully described. Since the nature of Schiff bases can be changed in a variety of ways, appealing routes for designing and preparing novel ruthenium complexes can be foreseen in the future.

The synthesis of various Schiff base mononuclear and binuclear ruthenium complexes, whose additional ligands around the metal core have been selected from an array of motifs, is described. These types of ruthenium complexes, conveniently prepared from commonly available ruthenium sources, are rather stable, display good tolerance towards diverse organic functionalities and also to air and moisture. Remarkably, they exhibit a high activity and chemoselectivity in a variety of catalytic processes such as ring-closing metathesis (RCM), Kharasch addition, alkyne dimerization, enol ester synthesis, ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). This review covers both homogeneous and heterogeneous hybrid Schiff base-ruthenium complexes.

Olefin metathesis is a versatile synthetic tool for the redistribution of alkylidene fragments at carbon-carbon double bonds. This field, and more specifically the development of task-specific, latent catalysts, attracts emerging industrial and academic interest. This tutorial review aims to provide the reader with a concise overview of early breakthroughs and recent key developments in the endeavor to develop latent olefin metathesis catalysts, and to illustrate their use by prominent examples from the literature.

The synthesis of complexes of the general formula Cl2Ru(SIMes)(L)(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene), 3a (L = PCy3), 3b (L = PPh3), 3c (L = py) and Cl2Ru(SIMe)(L)(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene), 4c (L = PCy3), 4b (L = PPh3), 4c (L = py) from commercially available Cl2Ru(PR3)2(3-phenylinden-1-ylidene), 2a (R = Cy), 2b (R = Ph), is reported, and the summed complexes proved to be useful catalysts for various ring-closing metathesis reactions. The catalytic data reported furthermore demonstrate that the substitution pattern of the N-aryl group has a definite influence on the activity of the second generation indenylidene catalysts for a given metathesis reaction, i.e. catalysts containing the SIMe-ligand showed improved initiation compared to the more robust SIMes substituted catalysts. A strong temperature effect was observed on all of the reactions tested. It is shown that complexes containing the SIMe-ligand display higher initiation efficiency then their corresponding SIMes analogues.

The NMR conformational study of three asymmetric phenylindenylidene ruthenium complexes 4.1-4.3, is presented. Complete (1)H and (13)C assignments could be obtained for 4.1-4.3 in benzene solution from multiple 2D homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR techniques. Our NMR analysis shows that each complex exists as a 55:45 mixture of two rotational isomers in slow exchange on the NMR chemical shift timescale. They are shown to be related by a 180 degrees flip of the indenylidene ligand along the Ru=CR bond. Both rotational isomers can be discriminated by means of NOEs contacts between the various ligands coordinating to the Ru. By matching these stereospecific assignments to the chemical shift, a chemical shift based fingerprint of the isomers that may allow straightforward assignment of future asymmetric phenylindenylidene ruthenium complexes is proposed.

The paper presents recent work conducted in our group on the synthesis of a novel class of homogeneous and immobilized Ru- complexes containing Schiff bases as O,N-bidentate ligands benefiting from a versatile, quite general and thoroughly exemplified two- step procedure. The new Ru-complexes with improved stability incorporate a variety of Schiff bases, associated with traditional inorganic and organic ligands such as chloride, phosphanes, arenes, cyclodienes, NHC etc., and different carbenes (alkylidene, vinylidene, allenylidene and indenylidene). By a proper choice of the Schiff base, useful physical and chemical properties of the derived Ru- complexes could be induced resulting in tunable catalytic activity for metathesis and related processes. A pertinent example is the latency of selected Schiff base Ru catalysts which by becoming active only under specific conditions (heat or acid activation) are ideal for industrial applications, e.g. reaction injection molding processes. The synthetic approaches that are critically discussed in this artcile have led to a diversity of Ru-complexes of which several members have risen to the rank of commercial catalysts.

Convenient routes for synthesis of ruthenium vinylidene complexes have been described, the majority of which use alkynes along with a ruthenium source as the main starting materials. Their successful application as efficient precatalysts in synthesis of heterocyclic and carbocyclic compounds by ring-closing metathesis of alpha,omega-dienes and in the synthesis of polymers by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclooctene, norbornene, 5-substituted norbornene and dicyclopentadiene are fully illustrated. Relevant aspects concerning the activity and stereoselectivity in metathesis reactions of this type of Ru complexes are highlighted

Herein we describe an improved ruthenium catalyst for the oxidative cyclization of 2-aminobenzylalcohol with ketones, leading to quinolines via a modified Friedlaender synthesis.

Herein we describe an improved ruthenium catalyst for the oxidative cyclization of 2-aminobenzylalcohol with ketones, leading to quinolines via a modified Friedlaender synthesis.