The invention provides a method for synthesizing musk macrocycles comprising contacting an easily accessible diene starting materials bearing a Z-olefin moiety and performing a ring closing metathesis reaction in the presence of a Group 8 olefin metathesis catalyst.

The present invention provides novel ruthenium or osmium based complex structures with a unique combination of ligands comprising a Schiff-base type ligand, a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and a CO ligand which can be prepared according to two different routes involving easily accessible starting materials and which represent excellent catalysts for hydrogenating unsaturated compounds, oligomers and polymers, in particular at unforeseeably low temperatures. ##STR00001##

A highly efficient method for the conversion of a natural product into the high density fuel RJ-4 with concomitant evolution of isobutylene for conversion to fuels and polymers, more specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to efficient methods for the conversion of the renewable, linear terpene alcohol, linalool into a drop-in, high density fuel suitable for ramjet or missile propulsion.

The present invention refers to novel ruthenium- and osmium-based catalysts for olefin metathesis reactions, particularly to catalysts having stereoselective properties. Z-selectivity is obtained by utilizing two mono-anionic ligands of very different steric requirement. In olefin metathesis reactions these catalysts selectively provide the Z-isomer of disubstituted olefinic products even in presence of air or of acids.

The invention relates to a ruthenium alkylidene complex comprising a 1-aryl-3-cycloalkyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene ligand, the cycloalkyl group of said 1-aryl-3-cycloalkyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene ligand being a cyclic secondary aliphatic alkyl.

The invention is directed to ruthenium-based metathesis catalysts of the Grubbs-Hoveyda type. The new 2-aryloxy-substituted ruthenium catalysts described herein reveal rapid initiation behavior. Further, the corresponding styrene-based precursor compounds are disclosed. The catalysts are prepared in a cross-metathesis reaction starting from styrene-based precursors which can be prepared in a cost-effective manner. The new Grubbs-Hoveyda type catalysts are suitable to catalyze ring-closing metathesis (RCM), cross metathesis (CM) and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Low catalyst loadings are necessary to convert a wide range of substrates including more complex and critical substrates via metathesis reactions at low to moderate temperatures in high yields within short reaction times.

In one aspect, the invention provides a method for synthesizing a fatty olefin derivative. The method includes: a) contacting an olefin according to Formula I

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with a metathesis reaction partner according to Formula IIb

##STR00002##

in the presence of a metathesis catalyst under conditions sufficient to form a metathesis product according to Formula IIIb:

##STR00003##

and
b) converting the metathesis product to the fatty olefin derivative. Each R.sup.1 is independently selected from H, C.sub.1-18 alkyl, and C.sub.2-18 alkenyl; R.sup.2b is C.sub.1-8 alkyl; subscript y is an integer ranging from 0 to 17; and subscript z is an integer ranging from 0 to 17. In certain embodiments, the metathesis catalyst is a tungsten catalyst or a molybdenum catalyst. In various embodiments, the fatty olefin derivative is a pheromone. Pheromone compositions and methods of using them are also described.

The present invention relates to a catalyst system containing a metathesis catalyst containing at least one N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and at least one phenolic compound and to a process for performing the metathesis on nitrile rubbers for reducing their molecular weight using a metathesis catalyst containing at least one N-heterocyclic carbene ligand (NHC ligand) and at least one phenolic compound.

This invention relates generally to olefin metathesis catalyst compounds, to the preparation of such compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds, articles of manufacture comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds in the metathesis of olefins and olefin compounds. The invention has utility in the fields of catalysts, organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, and industrial and fine chemicals industry.

The present invention relates to the use of Ru and Os carbene complexes with a hydroxamic acid (ester) function for the metathesis degradation of nitrile rubber (NBR). The invention further relates to a method for producing hydrogenated nitrile rubbers, by subjecting a nitrile rubber to a metathesis degradation in the presence of the said catalyst, and the degraded nitrile rubber obtained subsequently undergoes a hydrogenation, preferably in situ.