Impact of Ethylene on Efficiency and Stereocontrol in Olefin Metathesis: When to Add It, When to Remove It, and When to Avoid It

Ethylene is the byproduct of olefin metathesis reactions that involve one or more terminal alkenes. Its volatility is one reason why many cross-metathesis or ring-closing metathesis processes, which are reversible transformations, are efficient. However, because ethylene can be converted to a methylidene complex, which is a highly reactive but relatively unstable species, its concentration can impact olefin metathesis in other ways. In some cases, introducing excess ethylene can increase reaction rate owing to faster catalyst initiation. Ethylene and a derived methylidene complex can also advantageously inhibit substrate or product homocoupling, and/or divert a less selective pathway. In other instances, a methylidene's low stability and high activity may lead to erosion of efficiency and/or kinetic selectivity, making it preferable that ethylene is removed while being generated. If methylidene decomposition is so fast that there is little or no product formation, it is best that ethylene and methylidene complex formation is avoided altogether. This is accomplished by the use of di- or trisubstituted alkenes in stereoretentive processes, which includes adopting methylene capping strategy. Here, we analyze the different scenarios through which ethylene and the involvement of methylidene complexes can be manipulated and managed so that an olefin metathesis reaction may occur more efficiently and/or more stereoselectively.