A wide
set of 65 diverse Ru metathesis catalysts was investigated
in the ethenolysis reaction of biosourced ethyl oleate to allow the
comparison between the catalyst structure and its activity and selectivity.
Handling of the oleic substrate, weighing of the catalysts, and charging
the reactor were done in air, with exclusion of a glovebox or Schlenk
techniques. A catalyst bearing the unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic ligand
featuring a thiophene fragment (
Ru-63
) was selected to
offer the best combination between high selectivity and sufficient
activity under conditions mimicking oil industry practice. A proof-of-concept
large-scale ethenolysis experiment was also done with the selected
catalyst to prove its high selectivity at the 1 L scale reaction with
a 90% pure non-distilled substrate.