The carbene ruthenium complex [1, 3-bis (2, 6-dimethylphenyl)-4, 5-dihydroimidazol-2- ylidene](C5H5N) 2 (Cl) 2RuCHPh () was prepared by the reaction of [1, 3-bis (2, 6- dimethylphenyl)-4, 5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene](PPh3)(Cl) 2RuCHPh () with pyridine and used as a highly effective catalyst for the cross-metathesis of acrylonitrile with various functionalized olefins.