Substrate encapsulation: an efficient strategy for the RCM synthesis of unsaturated epsilon-lactones.

A facile substrate-encapsulated RCM-based synthesis of 7-membered lactones is reported. Coordination of the alpha,omega-dienyl ester precursor to the bulky Lewis acid (LA) aluminum tris(2,6-diphenylphenoxide) (ATPH) provides a protective extended steric pocket to the olefin moieties, thereby favoring intramolecular RCM over intermolecular ADMET oligomerization. The LA-encapsulated esters undergo ring-closure in the presence of Ru-based olefin metathesis catalysts to give previously difficult-to-access 7-membered beta,gamma- and gamma,delta-unsaturated lactones in good yields.