Structural assignment of a bis-cyclopentenyl-β-cyanohydrin formedviaalkene metathesis from either a triene or a tetraene precursor

The identity of the major product of Ru-catalysed alkene metathesis of two polyene substrates has been determined using density functional theory (DFT) NMR prediction, a (1)H-(1)H Total Correlated Spectroscopy (TOCSY) NMR experiment and ultimately by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The substrates were designed as those that would potentially allow expedient access to the trans-decalin skeleton of the natural product (-)-euonyminol, but the product was found to be a bis-cyclopentenyl-β-cyanohydrin [1-(1-hydroxycyclopent-3-en-1-yl)cyclopent-3-ene-1-carbonitrile, C11H13NO] rather than the trans-2,3,6,7-dehydrodecalin-β-cyanohydrin.