Tandem Catalytic Acrylonitrile Cross‐Metathesis and Hydrogenation of Nitriles with Ruthenium Catalysts: Direct Access to Linear α,ω‐Aminoesters from Renewables

Fraternité, Solidarité & complémentarité en Catalyse: Tandem alkene cross-metathesis of acrylonitrile with long-chain alkene and hydrogenation catalysis is performed by using a single ruthenium-alkylidene catalyst precursor. The protocol allows the catalytic transformation of unsaturated fatty acids, derivatives of plant oils, into α,ω-aminoesters. A key step involves the reduction of nitrile-ester intermediates into aminoesters, the precursors of polyamides, with alkene metathesis catalyst residue under mild conditions.