An Anthracene-Thiolate-Ligated Ruthenium Complex: Computational Insights into Z-Stereoselective Cross Metathesis

Stereoselective control of the cross metathesis of olefins is a crucial aspect of synthetic procedures. In this study, we utilized density functional theory methods to calculate thermodynamic and kinetic descriptors to explore the stereoselectivity of cross metathesis between allylbenzene and 2-butene-1,4-diyl diacetate. A ruthenium-based complex, characterized primarily by an anthracene-9-thiolate ligand, was designed in silico to completely restrict the E conformation of olefins through a bottom-bound mechanism. Our investigation of the kinetics of all feasible propagation routes demonstrated that Z-stereoisomers of metathesis products can be synthesized with an energy cost of only 13 kcal/mol. As a result, we encourage further research into the synthetic strategies outlined in this work.