Plant oils as precursors of N-containing compounds via alkene metathesis

Plant oils, the known precursors of a variety of unsaturated acid derivatives have also the potential to produce, by action of alkene metathesis catalysis, new intermediates useful for chemical industry, from renewable materials.
The cross-metathesis, promoted by selected ruthenium catalysts, of unsaturated esters, acids and other oil derivatives with acrylonitrile and fumaronitrile will be presented [1]

The formed bifunctional compounds are thus the precursors of linear aminoacids and thus polyamides.

[1] R. Malacea et al, Green Chem., 2009, 11, 152-155