Plant-derived alkenyl arenes were converted into polymer building blocks with low estrogenic activity via isomerising metathesis.

A carboxylate-directed ortho-C-H functionalization has been developed and it allows the regiospecific introduction of allyl residues to benzoic acids. In the presence of a [Ru(p-cymene)Cl ] and K PO , benzoic acids react with allyl acetates at only 50 °C to give the corresponding ortho-allylbenzoic acids. The protocol is generally applicable to both electron-rich and electron-poor benzoic acids in combination with linear and branched allyl acetates. The products can be further functionalized in situ, for example, by double-bond migration, lactonization, or decarboxylation.

A ruthenium-catalysed ortho-C–H allylation of benzoic acids is disclosed that makes use of unactivated allyl alcohols or seemingly inert allyl methyl ethers as allylating agents.

The construction of pyridine-containing macrocyclic architectures using a nonmetallic template is described. 4,6-Dichlororesorcinol was used as an exotemplate to self-organize two aza-heterocyclic units by OH···N hydrogen bonds. Subsequent sequential double olefin metathesis/hydrogenation reactions employing a single ruthenium-alkylidene precatalyst open access to macrocyclic molecules.