Linear additions to acetylenic compounds

Areas of acetylenic chemistry reviewed recently include the base-catalysed isomerization of acetylenes, nucleophilic additions to acetylenes, additions to activated triple bonds, synthetic and naturally occurring acetylene compounds as drugs, allenic and acetylenic carotenoids, linear polymers from acetylenes, carbonylation of mono-olefinic and monoacetylenic hydrocarbons, and the combustion and oxidation of acetylene. Several books have also appeared. ... 

The reader will recall equations 9 and 10 are generally ca 5 and 42 kJ moT1 endothermic. However, we generally lack enthalpies of formation for the compounds with the same affixed X as the above with which to compare reactions 9,10 and 16. Possibly, though very unlikely, the reaction of two conjugated dienes to form a linearly conjugated tetraene will show considerable additional stabilization. We note one comparison of related 4 and 3 chromophore species. Consider the de-acetylenation reaction... 

The kinetic law is generally of the type rate = A 2 [acetylene] [H+]. In concentrated acid solutions, the plot of log koha vs H0 in the case of compounds 2 is linear with essentially unit slope (Noyce et al., 1965, 1967 Noyce and De Bruin, 1968). The study of the reaction in a series of buffers showed that it is subject to general acid catalysis (Noyce and Schiavelli, 1968a Stamhuis and Drenth, 1961) and the application of the Bunnett, Grunwald and similar treatments in the case of thio-alkoxyacetylene derivatives (Hogeveen and Drenth, 1963b) clearly indicate that the addition of a water molecule does not take place in the slow step of the reaction. 

It is commonly accepted that reactions of CH with unsaturated hydrocarbons proceed without any entrance barrier via the formation of an initial intermediate which decomposes via hydrogen elimination. These reactions are exothermic and show several exit pathways due to the existence of isomers of final products. However there is debate on the exact nature of the reaction mechanism. As for the reactions of CH with acetylene and ethylene, the most likely mechanism seems to be the addition of the CH radical on the carbon multiple bonds to form a 3-carbon-atom cycle. It is believed that this cyclic intermediate isomerises to give linear intermediates which decompose to give the final products. The insertion of the CH radical in the C-H bond of the molecule is not thought to be a favourable entrance chaimel. For the reactions of CH with aromatic compounds a similar mechanism is expected. With respect to anthracene the observed behaviour of the rate coefficient is usually indicative of a reaction which... 

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