Ruthenium- and Rhodium-Catalyzed Strain-Driven Cleavage and Reconstruction of the C-C Bond

The synthesis of new functional organic molecules that cannot be obtained by a simple combination of conventional synthetic methods is a challenging subject in organic, organometallic, and industrial chemistry as well as in atom-efficient and environmental organic synthesis. Among the various possibilities that have been considered, the catalytic cleavage and reconstruction of the C-C bond has opened the door to a new branch of synthetic organic chemistry. This microreview summarizes progress on the ruthenium-and rhodium-catalyzed strain-driven cleavage of the C-C bond, the methods of which were mostly developed by the author. The direct oxidative addition of 2,5-norbornadienes, cyclopropenones, cyclobutenones, and cyclobutenediones, and to catalytically active metal species followed by the construction of the C-C bond has been used for the preparation of new organic molecules.