Double CH Activation of an N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand in a Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst

Abstract

Having a breakdown: Decomposition of the olefin metathesis catalyst [(biph)(PCy3)Cl2RuC(H)Ph] (biph= N,N′-diphenylbenzimidazol-2-ylidene, Cy=cyclohexyl) results in benzylidene insertion into an ortho CH bond of an N-phenyl group of the biph ligand. The ruthenium center further inserts into another ortho CH bond of the other N-phenyl ring to give a new RuC bond as a part of a five-membered metallacycle (see scheme).