Olefin metathesis featuring ruthenium indenylidene complexes with a sterically demanding NHC ligand

César A Urbina-Blanco; Anita Leitgeb; Christian Slugovc; Xavier Bantreil; Hervé Clavier; Alexandra M Z Slawin; Steven P Nolan

doi:10.1002/chem.201003082

Olefin metathesis featuring ruthenium indenylidene complexes with a sterically demanding NHC ligand

Chemistry. 2011 Apr 26;17(18):5045-53. doi: 10.1002/chem.201003082. Epub 2011 Mar 23.

Authors

César A Urbina-Blanco¹, Anita Leitgeb, Christian Slugovc, Xavier Bantreil, Hervé Clavier, Alexandra M Z Slawin, Steven P Nolan

Affiliation

¹ EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, KY16 9ST, St Andrews, UK.

PMID: 21433125
DOI: 10.1002/chem.201003082

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of two new ruthenium indenylidene complexes [RuCl(2)(SIPr)(Py)(Ind)] 6 and [RuCl(2)(SIPr)(3-BrPy)(Ind)] 7 featuring the sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbene 1,3-bis(2,6-di isopropylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene (SIPr) are reported. Remarkable activity was observed with these complexes in ring closing, enyne, and cross metathesis of olefins at low catalyst loadings. The performance of SIPr-bearing complexes 6 and 7 as well as [RuCl(2)(SIPr)(PCy(3))(Ind)] 5 in ring opening metathesis polymerization is also disclosed. This work highlights the enormous influence of the neutral "spectator" ligands on catalyst activity and stability.