Comparison of Reactivity in the Cross Metathesis of Allyl Acetate‐Derivatives with Oleochemical Compounds

The metathesis of unsaturated oleochemicals is an excellent tool for generating α,ω‐difunctional substrates, which are useful intermediates for polymer synthesis. This article describes the cross metathesis of allyl acetate and cis ‐1,4‐diacetoxy‐2‐butene with methyl 10‐undecenoate and methyl oleate, which are oleochemical key substrates. Detailed optimizations led to high conversion rates and yields of the desired products under mild reaction conditions by using a low concentration of commercially available homogeneous ruthenium catalysts.