Use of N-chelating ruthenium complexes in the metathesis reaction

A method comprising:

• adding the ruthenium complex of formula 1 to a solution for an olefin metathesis reaction;
• wherein:
• the adding step includes using the ruthenium complex of formula 1 as a (pre)catalyst for a ring-closing metathesis reaction, homometathesis, or cross-metathesis;
• X1, X2 are each independently an anionic ligand selected from a halogen atom, —OR, —SR, —C(C═O)R, where R is C1-C12 alkyl, C3-C12 cycloalkyl, C2-C12 alkenyl, C5-C20 aryl, which are optionally substituted with at least one C1-C12 alkyl, optionally C1-C12 perfluoroalkyl, optionally C1-C12 alkoxy, optionally a halogen atom;
• R1 represents C5-C24 aryl, C5-C25 heteroaryl, or C7-C24 aralkyl, which are optionally substituted by at least one C1-C12 alkyl, optionally C1-C12 perfluoroalkyl, optionally C1-C12 alkoxy, optionally a halogen atom, wherein the alkyl groups may be linked to each other to form a ring;
• R2 represents C5-C24 aryl, C5-C25 heteroaryl, C7-C24 aralkyl, which are optionally substituted by at least one C1-C12 alkyl, optionally C1-C12 perfluoroalkyl, optionally C1-C12 alkoxy, optionally a halogen atom, wherein the alkyl groups may be interconnected to form a cyclic system;
• a, b, c, d are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, C1-C25 alkyl, C1-C25 perfluoroalkyl, C3-C7 cycloalkyl, C1-C25 alkoxy, C5-C24 aryl, C7-C24 aralkyl, C5-C25 heteroaryl, 3-12-membered heterocycle, wherein the alkyl groups can be linked to each other to form a ring, wherein a, b, c, d can each also be independently an alkoxy group (—OR′), thioether (—SR′), nitro (—NO2), cyano (—CN), amide (—CONR′R″), carboxyl and ester (—COOR′), sulfone (—SO2R′), sulfonamide (SO2NR′R″), formyl and ketone (—COR′), in which the substituents R′ and R″ independently have the following meanings:
• C1-C25 alkyl, C1-C25 perfluoroalkyl, C5-C24 aryl, C5-C25 heteroaryl, C5-C24 perfluoroaryl;
• L represents a neutral ligand, wherein the neutral ligand comprises a P(R′)3 group, in which R′ independently represents C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, C5-C24 aryl, C1-C24 aralkyl, C5-C24 perfluoroaryl, two substituents R′ can be interconnected to form a cycloalkyl ring containing a phosphorus atom in the ring,
• or L is selected independently from the group consisting of N-heterocyclic carbene ligands of the formula 2a or 2b:
• wherein each R3 and R4 independently represent C1-C12 alkyl, C3-C12 cycloalkyl, C5-C20 aryl, or C5-C20 heteroaryl, which is optionally substituted with at least one C1-C12 perfluoroalkyl, C2-C12 alkoxy or a halogen atom, wherein the C5-C20 aryl is formulas 3a or 3b;
• and
• wherein each R5, R6, R7, R8 independently represents a hydrogen atom, C1-C12 alkyl, C3-C12 cycloalkyl, C5-C20 aryl, or C5-C20 heteroaryl, which is optionally substituted with at least one C1-C12 alkyl, C1-C12 perfluoroalkyl, C2-C12 alkoxy or a halogen atom, and the R5, R6, R7, R8, groups can be optionally interconnected to form a C4-C10 cyclic or C4-C12 polycyclic system.