A Self Generating Highly Active, Recyclable Olefin Metathesis Catalyst

In a novel paper, a polymeric catalyst is prepared using ring opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) and is then used in various metathesis reactions. The polymer is soluble in most common solvents but not in ether or hexane. Thus recycling by precipitation is easy. The catalyst gave good yields after 7 cycles but the 8th was low. It was shown that the catalyst could be used to generate itself in the ROMP reaction (Connon S J et al, Angew Chem Int Ed, 2002, 41 3835).