Ruthenium catalysts for selective nucleophilic allylic substitution

Recent developments in the chemistry of eta(3)-allylruthenium(IV) complexes are due to their straightforward synthesis resulting from oxidative addition of allylic substrates to a ruthenium(II) center. Subsequent reaction with a nucleophile is the basis of their involvement in the catalytic allylic substitution reaction. We focus here on ruthenium-catalyzed substitution of allylic substrates by C-, N-, and O-nucleophiles and show that selected ligands make regio- and enantioselective reactions possible.