Olefin metathesis as an inorganic synthetic tool: cross and ring closing metathesis reactions of diruthenium-bound omega-alkene-alpha-carboxylates.

Diruthenium compounds containing one omega-alkene-alpha-carboxylate ligand, Ru2Cl(D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F)3(O2C(CH2)nCH=CH2) (n=1 (1a) and 2 (1b)), were prepared from the reaction between Ru2Cl(D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F)3(O2CCH3) (D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F=N,N'-bis(3,5-dicholorophenyl)formamidinate) and the corresponding omega-alkene-alpha-carboxylic acid. Compounds 1a and 1b both underwent olefin cross metathesis reactions catalyzed by (Cy3P)2Cl2Ru(=CHPh) to afford the dimerized compounds [Ru2Cl(D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F)3]2(mu-O2C(CH2)nCH=CH(CH2)nCO2) (n=1 (2a) and 2 (2b)). Similarly, diruthenium compounds containing two omega-alkene-alpha-carboxylate ligands, cis-Ru2Cl(D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F)2(O2C(CH2)nCH=CH2)2 (n=1 (3a), 2 (3b), and 3 (3c)), were prepared by substituting the acetate ligands in cis-Ru2Cl(D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F)2(O2CCH3)2 with the corresponding omega-alkene-alpha-carboxylate ligands. Compounds 3 exhibited different reactivity under olefin metathesis conditions: both 3b and 3c underwent the intramolecular ring closing reaction quantitatively to afford compounds cis-Ru2(D(3,5-Cl2Ph)F)2(mu-O2C(CH2)nCH=CH2(CH2)nCO2)Cl with n=2 (4b) and 3 (4c), respectively, but 3a displayed no metathesis reactivity. Molecular structures of compounds 1a/1b, 2a/2b, 3a/3b, and 4b were established via X-ray diffraction studies, confirming the formation of cross and ring closing metathesis products. Voltammograms of compounds 2 are nearly identical to those of compounds 1, indicating the absence of electronic interactions mediated by the tether derived from olefin metathesis.