Dissolution of a Grubbs type olefin metathesis catalyst in dichloromethane. Olefin metathesis reaction is a “modern” transformation used in organic chemistry. This reaction allows the exchange of substituents between different olefins. As a simplified scheme this happens:
This reaction was first used in petroleum reformation for the synthesis of higher olefins (Shell higher olefin process – SHOP), with nickel catalysts under high pressure and high temperatures. Nowadays, even polyenes with MW > 250,000 are produced industrially in this way.
Grubbs’ catalysts are a series of transition metal carbene complexes used as catalysts for olefin metathesis. They are named after Robert H. Grubbs, the chemist who supervised their synthesis. Several generations of the catalyst have been developed. Grubbs’ catalysts tolerate many functional groups in the alkene substrates, are air-tolerant, and are compatible with a wide range of solvents. For these reasons, Grubbs’ catalysts have become popular in synthetic organic chemistry. Some of the most popular Grubbs catalysts: For their elucidation of the reaction mechanism and their discovery of a variety of highly active catalysts, Yves Chauvin, Robert H. Grubbs, and Richard R. Schrock were collectively awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
9:30 pm • 13 January 2019 • 499 notes • View comments