A direct route to bifunctional aldehyde derivatives via self- and cross-metathesis of unsaturated aldehydes.

ABSTRACT

Ruthenium-catalyzed self- and cross-metathesis, with acrolein, acrylonitrile, acrylic acid and methylacrylate, of the bioresource undecylenic aldehyde leads to a variety of unsaturated omega-functional aldehydes. Tandem olefin metathesis/hydrogenation catalytic reactions afford saturated C(20) and C(12) diols in good yields.