In this paper, the piperine (PIP) and eugenol (EUG) organic compounds were used as substrates in olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by first-generation Grubbs catalyst (G1) - [RuCl2(PCy3)2(=CHPh)], Cy is cyclohexyl and Ph is phenyl, in a one-pot system. The reactions occurred at 50 ºC, for 24, 48, or 96 h using the two substrates simultaneously in the ratio Ru:PIP:EUG of 1:1:1 and 1:10:10 mol. The results were evaluated by GC-MS, discussed in terms of the electronic and steric characteristics of the G1, and the structural proprieties of the substrates. In the Ru:PIP:EUG ratio of 1:1:1 mol, a dimeric species was observed for the olefin metathesis of EUG, in all time studied and in an additional experiment at 70 ºC for 48 h. When the Ru:PIP:EUG ratio was 1:10:10 mol, this dimer was not observed. Isomerization processes also were observed at all temperatures and catalyst:substrates ratio. The reaction yield increased with the raise of substrates amount. There was no cross-metathesis reaction. This fact was attributed to the chelating effect of the double coordination of the PIP to the catalyst.

Cinnamyl alcohol (AC) and cinnamyl acetate (ACM) were used as substrates in olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by RuCl2(PCy3)2(=CHPh), first-generation Grubbs catalyst-G1, and RuCl2(PCy3)(H2IMes)(= CHPh), second-generation Grubbs catalyst-G2. The reactions occurred in the same reaction conditions for both substrates, 50 °C, for 24 h, in the proportions Ru:substrate of 1:1 and 1:10 mol. At the end of each experiment, the reaction mixture was evaluated by GC-MS and NMR of 13C{1H}. The results revealed different products when G1 and G2 are applied in the metathesis of AC, 1,5-diphenyl-2-pentene and stilbene, respectively. When ACM is the substrate, no product is noted with G1 and stilbene was the compound obtained with G2 as catalyst. In this study, we have presented a discussion about the electronic and steric influence of the ancillary ligands in the yield and type of product formed in the catalytic process.

Diesters of norbornene 2,3-dicarboxylic acid (NBE-(COOR)2), in which R is an alkyl group, were synthesized from one-pot synthesis method with 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid and methanol and ethanol. The new monomers were, respectively, the dimethyl ester NBE-(COOCH3)2 and diethyl ester NBE-(COOCH2CH3)2. Norbornene was mixed with these monomers at different proportions and copolymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with 1st generation Grubbs' catalyst. All experiments were conducted under air atmosphere to obtain the isolated polymer. Yield results show that elongation of the R group influenced the copolymerization process. At the same co-monomer proportion, the yield decreases as a function of the R group elongation. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed and, in all cases, more than one thermal degradation process was observed. The first process was assigned to pendent group degradation, whereas the second process was assigned to main chain degradation. These thermal processes were also influenced by different elongation of the aliphatic group of the pendent chain.