Recently, an important scientific event in metathesis chemistry, the
NATO-Advanced Study Institute New Frontiers in Metathesis Chemistry:
From Nanostructure Design to Sustainable Technologies for . Synthesis of
Advanced Materials was organized in Antalya, Turkey (September 4-16,
2006). Prominent scientists, young researchers and students, convened
for two weeks to debate on the newest trends in olefin metathesis and
identify future perspectives in this fascinating field of synthetic
organic, organometallic and polymer chemistry with diverse potential
applications in materials science and technology. Following the fruitful
practice of the previous NATO ASI meetings, selected contributions
comprising plenary lectures, short communications and posters are
compiled in this special volume dedicated to this outstanding
international scientific meeting. Olefin metathesis, one of the most
efficient transition metal mediated C-C forming reactions, awarded in
2005 with the Nobel Prize for chemistry to Yves Chauvin (IFP), Robert H.
Grubbs (Caltech) and Richard R. Schrock (MIT), asserted itself during
the last decade as a powerful synthetic strategy for obtaining fine
chemicals, biologically active compounds, architecturally complex
assemblies, new materials and functionalized polymers tailored for
specific utilizations (e.g. sensors, semiconductors, microelectronic
devices) etc. Metathesis reactions such as ring-closing metathesis
(RCM), enyne metathesis, cross-metathesis (CM), acyclic diene metathesis
polymerizafion (ADMET) and ring-opening metathesis polymerization
(ROMP), largely dealt with during the ASI meeting, have gone far beyond
the 20-th century boundaries resulting in a broad diversification
towards sustainable technologies with perspectives for industrial
applications of a wide range of products, from the manufacture of smart,
nanostructured materials to the synthesis of complex organic compounds,
natural products, pharmaceuticals and supramolecular assemblies.
