Alkylidene complexes of ruthenium containing n-heterocyclic carbene ligands; use as highly active, selective catalysts for olefin metathesis

Abstract

Akylidene complexes of ruthenium containing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands and their use as highly active, selective catalysts for olefin metathesis The invention relates to a complex of ruthenium of the structural formula I, where X 1 and X 2 are identical or different and are each an anionic ligand, R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and can also contain a ring, and R 1 and R 2 are each hydrogen or/and a hydrocarbon group, the ligand L 1 is an N-heterocyclic carbene and the ligand L 2 is an uncharged electron donor, in particular an N-heterocyclic carbene or an amine, imine, phosphine, phosphite, stibine, arsine, carbonyl compound, carboxyl compound, nitrile, alcohol, ether, thiol or thioether, where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are hydrogen or/and hydrocarbon groups. The invention further relates to a process for preparing acyclic olefins having two or more carbon atoms or/and cyclic olefins having four or more carbon atoms from acyclic olefins having two or more carbon atoms or/and from cyclic olefins having four or more carbon atoms by an olefin metathesis reaction in the presence of at least one catalyst, wherein a complex is used as catalyst and R′ 1 , R′ 2 , R′ 3 and R′ 4 are hydrogen or/and hydrocarbon groups.

1 . A complex of ruthenium of the structural formula I, 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where X 1  and X 2  are identical or different and are each an anionic ligand, 
         R 1  and R 2  are identical or different and are each hydrogen or/and or a hydrocarbon group, where the hydrocarbon groups are identical or different and are selected independently from among straight-chain, branched, cyclic or noncyclic radicals from the group consisting of alkyl radicals having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, alkenyl radicals having up to 50 carbon atoms, alkynyl radicals having up to 50 carbon atoms, aryl radicals having from 1 up to 30 carbon atoms and silyl radicals, or R′ and R 2  form a ring, where one or more of the hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon or silyl groups or both the hydrocarbon and silyl group can be replaced independently by identical or different alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, metallocenyl, halogen, nitro, nitroso, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, carbonyl, thio or sulfonyl groups, the ligand L 1  is an N-heterocyclic carbene of the formulae II-V and the ligand L 2  is an N-heterocyclic carbene of the formulae III-V or an amine, imine,phosphine, phosphite, stibine, arsine, carbonyl compound, carboxyl compound, nitrile, alcohol, ether, thiol or thioether, 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  in the formulae II, III, IV and V are identical or different and are each hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group, where the hydrocarbon groups comprise identical or different, cyclic, noncyclic, straight-chain or/and branched radicals selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, alkenyl radicals having up to 50 carbon atoms, alkynyl radicals having up to 50 carbon atoms and aryl radicals having up to 30 carbon atoms, in which at least one hydrogen may be replaced by functional groups, and where one or both of R 3  and R 4  may be identical or different halogen, nitro, nitroso, alkoxy, aryloxy, amido, carboxyl, carbonyl, thio or sulfonyl groups. 
       
     
     
         2 - 16 . (canceled)