Chemistry
Principles of Ring-Closing Metathesis for Macrocycle Synthesis
Quick fact
Ring-closing metathesis can create macrocycles with ring sizes of 12 to over 20 atoms in high yield, a feat that is notoriously difficult with traditional cyclization methods. This was recognized by the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded to Chauvin, Grubbs, and Schrock for developing metathesis.
Why this is interesting
You’ve probably seen rings in molecules like antibiotics and hormones, but how do chemists bend a long chain into a huge ring? The answer is a double-bond shuffle that closes the circle—ring-closing metathesis.