The discovery of readily-handled ruthenium catalysts transformed olefin metathesis into an exceptionally versatile tool for the assembly of materials and molecules. A challenge in demanding applications in organic synthesis and chemical biology, however, is catalyst degradation by (e.g.) nucleophiles, Brønsted base, and water. To date, mechanistic study has focused almost exclusively on decomposition of the active species involved in the metathesis of terminal olefins. Here we explore the extent to which steric protection moderates the vulnerability of the corresponding ruthenium species generated in metathesis of internal olefins, including monomers for ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP).

Protected species? Probing the robustness to degradation of ruthenium intermediates formed during metathesis of internal olefins

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