The demand for new chemicals spanning the fields of health care to materials science combined with the pressure to produce these substances in an environmentally benign fashion pose great challenges to the synthetic chemical community. The maximization of synthetic efficiency by the conversion of simple building blocks into complex targets remains a fundamental goal. In this context, ruthenium complexes catalyze a number of non-metathesis conversions and allow the rapid assembly of complex molecules with high selectivity and atom economy. These complexes often exhibit unusual reactivity. Careful consideration of the mechanistic underpinnings of the transformations can lead to the design of new reactions and the discovery of new reactivity.

Ruthenium-catalyzed reactions--a treasure trove of atom-economic transformations.

Transposition of allylic alcohols into carbonyl compounds mediated by transition metal complexes.

Homogeneously catalysed isomerisation of allylic alcohols to carbonyl compounds

Transition-metal-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of α,ω-dienes.

Ruthenium-katalysierte Reaktionen - eine Schatzkiste für atomökonomische Umwandlungen

The structure of the complex [Rh2Cl4(C6H11O)2],CH3OH formed from RhCl3,3H2O and allyl Alcohol is reported as well as a very efficient rhodium-catalysed cyclisation of diallyl ether.

J. K. Nicholson

Papers

Products formed from rhodium trichloride trihydrate and allyl alcohol or diallyl ether; the crystal and molecular structure of [Rh2Cl4(C6H11O)2],CH3OH

Produkte aus rhodiumtrichlorid-trihydrat und allylalkohol oder diallylaether, die kristall- und molekuel-struktur von (rh2cl4(c6h11o)2).ch3oh