Synthesis of Substituted Aromatic Compounds Using Ruthenium-Catalyzed Ring-Closing Metathesis

The demand for functionalized aromatic compounds is growing rapidly in many research fields. Therefore, the efficient synthesis of desired aromatic compounds is a critical issue in organic synthesis. In this account, we describe new synthetic approaches to versatile aromatic compounds, such as phenols, benzenes, 3-hydroxypyridines, and styrenes, by ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM)/aromatization and ring-closing enyne metathesis (RCEM)/aromatization of acyclic precursors. The advantages in terms of simplicity, flexibility, and avoidance of the formation of regioisomers are proof of the versatility of this method for the synthesis of aromatic compounds.