Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation
Published on: August 28, 2017
Water Droplet Microlightning Sparks Alkyne Ozonolysis
Yifan Meng1,2, Elumalai Gnanamani2,3, Richard N Zare2
1College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
None:
We report that microlightning during the spraying of pure water microdroplets can cleave alkyne triple bonds via the in situ formation of ozone. When alkyne vapors are introduced into a spray of water microdroplets under ambient conditions, carboxylic acids are detected by high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). Control experiments confirmed that both water and molecular oxygen in the gas surrounding the droplets are essential in this transformation. Intermediates of ozonolysis were captured by MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS2), which further verified the proposed mechanism through ozone generation from water droplet microlightning. Our findings demonstrate a green, catalyst-free method for breaking the C≡C bond of alkynes and forming the corresponding carboxylic acids.
More Related Videos
05:46A Versatile Kit Based on Digital Microfluidics Droplet Actuation for Science Education
Published on: April 26, 2021
09:40Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown
Published on: February 14, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
Alkynes to Carboxylic Acids: Oxidative Cleavage
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Hydrohalogenation
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Preparation of Alkynes: Dehydrohalogenation
Alkynes can be prepared by dehydrohalogenation of vicinal or geminal dihalides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide in liquid ammonia. The reaction proceeds with the loss of two equivalents of hydrogen halide (HX) via two successive E2 elimination reactions.
Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation
One of the convenient methods for the preparation of aldehydes and ketones is via hydration of alkynes. Hydroboration-oxidation of alkynes is an indirect hydration reaction in which an alkyne is treated with borane followed by oxidation with alkaline peroxide to form an enol that rapidly converts into an aldehyde or a ketone. Terminal alkynes form aldehydes, whereas internal alkynes give ketones as the final product.