A Two-Component Alkyne Metathesis Catalyst System with an Improved Substrate Scope and Functional Group Tolerance: Development and Applications to Natural Product Synthesis

Dialkylbiaryl phosphines are a valuable class of ligand for Pd-catalyzed amination reactions and have been applied in a range of contexts. This review attempts to aid the reader in the selection of the best choice of reaction conditions and ligand of this class for the most commonly encountered and practically important substrate combinations.

Catalytic olefin metathesis--through which pairs of C = C bonds are reorganized--transforms simple molecules to those that are complex and precious. This class of reactions has noticeably enriched chemical synthesis, which is the art of preparing scarce molecules with highly desirable properties (for example, medicinal agents or polymeric materials). Research in the past two decades has yielded structurally well-defined catalysts for olefin metathesis that are used to synthesize an array of molecules with unprecedented efficiency. Nonetheless, the full potential of olefin metathesis will be realized only when additional catalysts are discovered that are truly practical and afford exceptional selectivity for a significantly broader range of reactions.