Helvetica Chimica Acta ± Vol. 81 (1998)
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distribution of the expected N ´ (N 1)/2 olefins (or N ´ (N 1) compounds including
(
E)/(Z) isomers).
Despite the absence of any driving force, i.e., relief of ring strain or ethylene
evolution, the metathesis of internal olefins is characterized by a quantitative catalytic
reaction generating no by-products, i.e., atom economy [16][17]. The results outlined
above thus demonstrate the applicability of this reaction for the generation of libraries
of organic compounds. Our current efforts are aimed at further broadening the scope of
this methodology by adding a hard Lewis acid to protect unfavorably positioned polar
groups [18].
We thank the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Stiftung für Stipendien auf dem Gebiete der Chemie
(award of an A. Werner Fellowship to T.R.W., 1994 ± 1999) and the Doktoranden-Stipendium Fonds der
chemischen Industrie, Basel, for financial support. T.R.W. thanks Prof. J.-L. Reymond and Prof. A. Ludi for
enlightening discussions as well as Prof. P. Bigler and A. Saxer for help with NMR and GC, respectively.
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Received May 15, 1998