Patent ID: 8008224

Claim:
An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst of formula (I): wherein: X 1 and X 2 are independently anionic ligands; n is 0, 1 or 2; R 9 and R 10 are each independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted substituent selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 2 -C 20 alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 alkynyl, aryl, C 1 -C 20 carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkynyloxy, aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylthio, C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfonyl and C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfinyl; or R 9 and R 10 may optionally be linked together to form a cyclic structure via one of the listed substituents; m is 1 or 2; when m is 1, L is a neutral 2-electron donor ligand and may optionally be linked to R 10 forming a chelating carbene ligand when n is zero; when m is 2, L is a heteroarene ligand; and NHC is an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand selected from formulas (III)-(V): wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are either: a) each R 1 is independently a primary or secondary C 1 -C 4 alkyl group; each R 2 is independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 10 alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl, or substituted or unsubstituted anthracenyl; and each R 3 is independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl, or substituted or unsubstituted anthracenyl, or a functional group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, cyano, cyanato, thiocyanato, amino, nitro, nitroso, sulfo, sulfonato, boryl, borono, phosphono, phosphonato, phosphinato, phospho, phosphino, and silyloxy; or b) R 1 is H; each R 2 is independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl, or substituted or unsubstituted anthracenyl; and each R 3 is independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl, or substituted or unsubstituted anthracenyl or a functional group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, cyano, cyanato, thiocyanato, amino, nitro, nitroso, sulfo, sulfonato, boryl, borono, phosphono, phosphonato, phosphinato, phospho, phosphino, and silyloxy; with the provisos that both R 2 substituents on the same phenyl ring are not H; R 4 and R 6 are each independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, or in formulas (III) and (V), together with the carbons carrying them, form a substituted or unsubstituted, fused 4-8 membered carbocylic ring or a substituted or unsubstituted, fused aromatic ring; R 5 and R 7 are independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl group; and R 8 is a C 1 -C 12 alkyl or a C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl.