Alkener er nyttige mellemprodukter i syntesen af organiske forbindelser?
Alkener kan fremstilles ved udveksling med andre alkener i en reaktion, der kaldes olefinmetathese. Ofte bruges tab af ethengas til at drive reaktionen frem mod det ønskede produkt. I mange tilfælde opnås en blanding af geometriske isomerer, men reaktionen tåler mange funktionelle grupper. Metoden er særlig effektiv til fremstilling af cykliske alkener, som i denne syntese af muscon:
Alkenes can be prepared by exchange with other alkenes, in a reaction known as olefin metathesis. Frequently, loss of ethene gas is used to drive the reaction towards a desired product. In many cases, a mixture of geometric isomers is obtained, but the reaction tolerates many functional groups. The method is particularly effective for the preparation of cyclic alkenes, as in this synthesis of muscone:
Alkene