Ruthenium-Catalyzed Olefin Metathesis in Industrial Applications

Two decades after the “development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis” was honored with a Nobel Prize, this chemical transformation is in full swing across many industrial applications. This breakthrough has been made possible by the precise design of highly active and efficient homogeneous ruthenium catalysts, which significantly reduce the costs of olefin metathesis processes. In this talk, a range of success stories will be presented, highlighting the implementation of olefin metathesis in the production of pharmaceuticals, fragrances, pheromones, polymers, renewable oleochemicals, and others. The presentation will also offer insights into how R&D discovery has gone hand in hand with the industrial drive to scale up synthesis while keeping processes safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Facts showing that metathesis is a mature technology bringing sustainable solutions into the production of value-added chemicals will be clearly presented. It will be shown that ruthenium catalysts can achieve outstanding 7-digit turnover numbers while keeping loadings as low as ppm or even ppb in challenging reactions like ethenolysis. Finally, the future outlook for rapidly growing applications of metathesis in the production of LAOs from fatty acid esters, as well as in the synthesis of key components of anti-obesity drugs like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, will be shown