Ring closing enyne metathesis: a powerful tool for the synthesis of heterocycles

The ring closing metathesis (RCM) is a powerful method in organic synthesis for the preparation of cyclic compounds by formation of new carbon-carbon bonds. In the past years a particular subclass of the RCM, the ring closing enyne metathesis (RCEYM), has attracted attention due to its synthetic potential in the generation of ring structures with 1,3-diene moieties, which can subsequently be further functionalised. In this tutorial review mechanistic considerations will be described and the synthetic power of this useful and attractive carbon-carbon bond forming reaction will be illustrated by recent examples of RCEYM applications in the preparation of heterocyclic compounds.