Rendering Schrock‐type Molybdenum Alkylidene Complexes Air Stable: User‐Friendly Precatalysts for Alkene Metathesis

Abstract

A matter of convenience: Schrock molybdenum alkylidenes are amongst the most powerful olefin metathesis catalysts known to date, but their sensitivity to air and moisture mandates their handling in a glove-box or by Schlenk techniques. This inconvenience is circumvented by using the corresponding phenanthroline- or bipyridine adducts, which are bench-stable and hence very user-friendly. The active species can be liberated from these precatalysts in uncompromised form on treatment with ZnCl2 in toluene (see scheme). Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.