Progress on ruthenium catalysts for efficiently promoting Z-selective olefin metathesis

Abstract

Olefin metathesis is a pivotal method for the synthesis of organic molecules and is widely applied in industrial production. Stereoselective olefin metathesis, as a method for selectively producing E-olefins and Z-olefins, has garnered considerable attention. This review article summarizes the reports on the use of ruthenium catalysts for Z-selective olefin metathesis reactions. Modifications of ruthenium catalyst ligands and control of reaction conditions have been employed to enhance the Z-selectivity in olefin metathesis. Ruthenium complexes containing adamantyl nitrate ligands, monothiol ligands, and dithiol ligands have demonstrated significant effects on the Z-selective metathesis of olefins. This clearly illustrates that ligand modification plays a crucial role in achieving stereospecific olefin metathesis reactions and offers insights for the design of future catalysts.