Directed ring-closing metathesis of trienes by silyl substitution

A synthetic strategy for ‘disarming’ a terminal alkene by substitution with a bulky silyl blocking group has been developed. In a series of model studies, sequential selective ring-closing metathesis of trienes followed by selective mono-hydrogenation of the resulting diene is described. The bulky silylated alkene is activated for a subsequent cross-metathesis reaction with a range of diverse alkenes by protodesilylation.