Recent advances in olefin metathesis

Selective olefin metathesis catalysts have been developed over the past several years that control the stereochem. of the metathesis products. Complexes have been prepd. that produce high Z olefins from terminal olefins, select among olefins in a polyolefin and control the tacticity of ROMP polymers. New approaches are being made to the development of E selective systems. These complexes can also be used to prep. highly functional materials such as brush block polymers that assemble into light reflecting photonics crystals.