title: Cationic bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ruthenium complex: structure and application as latent catalyst in olefin metathesis.
abstract: An unexpected cationic bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) benzylidene ether based ruthenium complex (2 a) was prepared through the double incorporation of an unsymmetrical unsaturated N-heterocyclic carbene (U2 -NHC) ligand that bore an N-substituted cyclododecyl side chain. The isolation and full characterization (including X-ray diffraction studies) of key synthetic intermediates along with theoretical calculations allowed us to understand the mechanism of the overall cationization process. Finally, the newly developed complex 2 a displayed interesting latent behavior during ring-closing metathesis, which could be "switched on" under acidic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, UMR CNRS 6626, 11 Allée de Beaulieu, CS 50837, 35708, Rennes Cedex 7 (France).
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rouen
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Queval
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Falivene
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toupet
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crévisy
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caijo
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baslé
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauduit
keywords: carbenes; cations; metathesis; olefination; ruthenium