Abstract
A theoretical study of a double C-H activation mechanism that deactivates a family of second generation Ru-based catalysts is presented. DFT calculations are used to rationalize the complex mechanistic pathway from the starting precatalyst to the experimentally characterized decomposition products. In particular, we show that all the intermediates proposed by Grubbs and coworkers are indeed possible intermediates in the deactivation pathway, although the sequence of steps is somewhat different.