Metal-catalysed Metathesis Reactions for Greener Synthon/Drug Synthesis

Olefin metathesis is now an important tool for modern organic synthesis. Ring-closing metathesis is widely employed in drug discovery and in the industrial synthetic routes of some active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Cross metathesis is the technological keystone for bio-refineries based in plant oils, which reveals the large potential of this reaction for greener processes. This chapter provides general information about how to choose a catalyst and the conditions to perform metathesis reactions, as well as some details about the mechanism and catalyst stability. Important examples in API synthesis and the utilization of metathesis in bio-renewables are also presented.