Diynes phase-transfer catalysts

Alkynes react with haloethenes [38] to yield but-l-en-3-ynes (55-80%), when the reaction is catalysed by Cu(I) and Pd(0) in the presence of a quaternary ammonium salt. The formation of pent-l-en-4-ynes, obtained from the Cu(I)-catalysed reaction of equimolar amounts of alk-l-ynes and allyl halides, has greater applicability and versatility when conducted in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst [39, 40] although, under strongly basic conditions, 5-arylpent-l-en-4-ynes isomerize. Symmetrical 1,3-diynes are produced by the catalysed dimerization of terminal alkynes in the presence of Pd(0) and a catalytic amount of allyl bromide [41]. No reaction occurs in the absence of the allyl bromide, and an increased amount of the bromide also significantly reduces the yield of the diyne with concomitant formation of an endiyene. The reaction probably involves the initial allylation of the ethnyl carbanion and subsequent displacement of the allyl group by a second ethynyl carbanion on the Pd(0) complex. 

Complexes of other metals are also capable of catalyzing useful carbonylation reactions under phase transfer conditions. For example, certain palladium(o) catalysts, like Co2(C0)g, can catalyze the carbonylation of benzylic halides to carboxylic acids. When applied to vinylic dibromides, unsaturated diacids or diynes were obtained, using Pd(diphos)2[diphos l,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] as the metal catalyst, benzyltriethylammonium chloride as the phase transfer agent, and t-amyl alcohol or benzene as the organic phase(18),... 

Phase-transfer catalysis is a useful procedure for a variety of interesting metal-catalyzed reactions. - However, only one example of this approach has been reported for the synthesis of diynes by the sp-sp carbon coupling reaction. Thus vinylic dibromides derived from aromatic aldehydes have been shown to react with carbon monoxide, in the presence of zerovalent palladium compounds as the metal catalyst, and under phase-transfer conditions in a two-phase system (benzene, 5 M NaOH), to give the corresponding diynes in reasonable yields (equations 21 and 22). ... 

---