New chiral ruthenium bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine catalyst. Efficient asymmetric cyclopropanation of olefins with diazoacetates

A study of novel chiral ruthenium bis(oxazolinyl)pyridine catalyst facilitates facile asymmetric cyclopropanation of olefins and diazoacetates. (RuIICl2(p-cymene))2 (1) was used as a stable precursor. 2-phenylcyclopropanecarboxylates, cis-isomer and the trans-isomer result from catalysis facilitated by the dark red solution from 1 and 2.