Cross-metathesis with acrylonitrile and applications to fatty acid derivatives

In this minireview, we report on the state of the art concerning the cross-metathesis of acrylonitrile with olefins. A special focus is given to catalytic conditions that are suitable for medium-size and long-chain aliphatic model substrates. The recent applications of this metathesis reaction to fatty acid derivatives to generate fatty nitriles and bifunctional products are considered. They represent very attractive transformations for the access to N-containing monomers and functional intermediates for the chemical industry from renewable raw materials.