title: On inventing reactions for atom economy.
abstract: An important first step in making organic reactions more environmentally benign by design requires processes that are, to a first approximation, simple additions with anything else needed only catalytically. Since so few of the existing reactions are additions, synthesis of complex molecules requires the development of new atom-economic methodology. The prospect for such developments is probed in the context of ruthenium-catalyzed reactions. Using mechanistic reasoning, over 20 new processes of varying complexity have been designed and implemented. While some involved oxidation-reduction processes, most involved C-C bond-forming reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5080, USA.
authors.forename: Barry M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Trost
mesh_terms: D000475:Alkenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D000480:Alkynes / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D002384:Catalysis; D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000475:Alkenes; D000480:Alkynes; D012428:Ruthenium