A simple and practical preparation of an efficient water soluble olefin metathesis catalyst

This study details homogeneous olefin metathesis in water catalysed by a di-ammonium functionalised Ru-alkylidene complex. A facile gram scale synthesis of an air stable catalyst precursor which can be readily converted to its water soluble derivative is described. The di-ammonium functionalised Ru-alkylidene complex facilitates a range of ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and cross-metathesis (CM) reactions in water.