Bis-mixed-carbene ruthenium-thiolate-alkylidene complexes: synthesis and olefin metathesis activity.

A series of bis-carbene Ru-hydride species, including (IMes)(Im(OMe)2)(PPh3)RuHCl (1) and (SIMes)(Me2Im(OMe)2)(PPh3)RuHCl (2) were prepared and subsequently shown to react with aryl-vinyl-sulfides to give the bis-carbene-alkylidene complexes: Im(OMe)2(SIMes)RuCl(SR)(=CHCH3) (R = p-FC6H4 (3), p-(NO2)C6H4 (4)), Im(OMe)2(IMes)RuCl(=CHCH3)(SPh) (5), Me2Im(OMe)2(SIMes)RuCl(=CHCH3)(SPh) (6), Im(OMe)2(SIMes)(F5C6S)RuCl(=CHR) (R = C4H9 (9), C5H11 (10)). The activity of these species in the standard Grubbs' tests for ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ring-closing and cross-metathesis are reported. Although these thiolate derivatives are shown to exhibit modest metathesis activities, the reactivity is enhanced in the presence of BCl3.