Tandem Catalysis: A Ring-Closing Metathesis Followed by Dehydrogenative Oxidation to Afford Substituted Indenones

Grubbs second generation catalyst converts substituted 1-(2propenylphenyl)prop-2-en-1-ols into substituted indenols or indenones depending on the reaction conditions employed. The formation of indenones represents the first example of a tandem ruthenium-mediated ring-closing metathesis-dehydrogenative oxidation reaction.