An unusual cationic Ru(II) indenylidene complex and its Ru(III) derivative-efficient catalysts for high temperature olefin metathesis reactions

The use of a mixed phosphite/N-heterocyclic carbene bearing ruthenium precursor permits the synthesis and characterisation of unprecedented four-coordinate Ru(II) and Ru(III) cationic complexes adopting an unusual sawhorse structure. The cationic Ru(II) complex performs very effectively on challenging substrates at high temperature in very short reaction times and low catalyst loadings.