A remote coordination booster enhances the catalytic efficiency by accelerating the generation of an active catalyst.

A remote RuII(terpy)2 unit incorporated in conjugation with the [NHC-RuII(para-cymene)] catalytic site, acts as a “coordination booster” for enhancing the catalytic efficiency to achieve excellent performance in selective oxidative scission of various carbon–carbon multiple bonds to the corresponding aldehydes, ketones and diketones. Generation of an active catalyst via oxidative loss of para-cymene from the precatalyst was found to be accelerated by the “coordination booster” through the electronic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]