Recent Advancements in Ring Closing Olefin Metathesis

A short overview on recent developments in ring closing metathesis (RCM) of 1,ω-dienes to cycloalkenes is provided, with particular emphasis on applications to natural product synthesis and the preparation of olfactory perfume ingredients. These examples show that RCM is becoming a mature tool for the formation of carbo– and heterocycles of any size ⩾ 5, including medium and large ring compounds which are difficult to prepare otherwise. Although the reactivity profile of the standard metathesis (pre)catalysts cannot be reduced to a simplistic picture, their excellent compatibility with an array of functional groups will be outlined