Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by CopperI-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units
Published on: September 18, 2016
Copper Powder-Catalyzed α-Alkynylation of Secondary Alcohols via Isodesmic Reaction
Min Lin1, Zi-Xin Ye1, Fei-Fei Zou1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Copper powder-catalyzed α-alkynylation of secondary alcohols via an isodesmic reaction was established. The synergistic interaction between copper powder and 1,10-phenanthroline was identified as the pivotal factor in significantly boosting the activity of the reaction. This α-alkynylation of secondary alcohols provides a step-economic procedure for preparing CF3-substituted propargylic alcohols. This reaction proceeds under open-air conditions, exhibiting a broad substrate scope and excellent compatibility with the late-stage modification of bioactive molecules.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of Alcohols to Alkenes
Acid-Catalyzed α-Halogenation of Aldehydes and Ketones
In the first step of the mechanism, the acid protonates the carbonyl oxygen resulting in a resonance-stabilized cation, which subsequently loses an α-hydrogen to form an enol tautomer. The C=C bond in an enol is highly nucleophilic because of the electron-donating nature of the –OH group. Consequently, the double bond attacks an electrophilic halogen to form a...
Base-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction
Acid-Catalyzed Aldol Addition Reaction
Preparation of Alcohols via Substitution Reactions
Alcohols can be synthesized from alkyl halides via nucleophilic substitution reactions. The highly polar carbon-halogen bond in the substrate makes halide a good leaving group. The hydroxide ion or water can act as a nucleophile to take the place of halide and form an alcohol. The substitution reactions occur via two different reaction pathways, SN1 or SN2, depending on the nature of carbon attached to the halide.
Primary alcohols are synthesized from primary alkyl halides, and the...
Esters to Alcohols: Grignard Reaction
The reaction requires two equivalents of the Grignard reagent and introduces two identical alkyl groups, derived from the Grignard reagent, bonded to the hydroxyl-bearing carbon of the alcohol.
The reaction follows the typical nucleophilic acyl substitution mechanism. The Grignard...

