ethenolysis

Ethenolysis is a chemical reaction involving ethene (ethylene) and another olefin, catalyzed by specific metal complexes. It is a type of cross-metathesis where the carbon-carbon double bond of one alkene is cleaved and rearranged with the double bond of another alkene. In ethenolysis, ethene is one of the reactants. This reaction leads to the formation of new olefins, with the ethene molecule effectively inserting itself into the existing double bond and then cleaving it.

The primary utility of ethenolysis lies in its ability to produce shorter-chain olefins or functionalized olefins from longer ones. For instance, it can be used to convert a long-chain fatty acid ester into a shorter-chain ester and a terminal olefin. The catalyst is crucial for the reaction's success and selectivity, with ruthenium-based catalysts being commonly employed due to their high activity and tolerance to various functional groups. Ethenolysis is often conducted under relatively mild conditions.

This process finds applications in organic synthesis and the petrochemical industry for producing valuable chemical intermediates and specialty chemicals. It offers a pathway to modify the chain length of olefins and introduce terminal double bonds, which are reactive sites for further chemical transformations. The reaction's atom economy is generally good, as most atoms from the reactants are incorporated into the products.