New pyridinium-tagged ruthenium catalysts have been synthesised to perform olefin metathesis in several media including both organic and aqueous solvents and room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). High activity was obtained in the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) of a variety of di-or tri-substituted and/or oxygen-containing dienes. However, only fair levels of recycling combined with low to moderate residual ruthenium levels (25– ...