Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
06:58
Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
Calcium Alkynyl(hydrido)zincates
Marcos López-Aguilar1,2, Kyle G Pearce1, Michael S Hill1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.
Organometallics
|July 30, 2026
Summary
This study details the synthesis of novel calcium-zinc acetylide complexes. These heterobimetallic compounds are formed through reactions involving calcium hydride dimers, zinc complexes, and terminal alkynes.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Coordination Chemistry
- Main Group Chemistry
Background:
- Calcium and zinc complexes are important in catalysis and materials science.
- β-Diketiminato ligands offer tunable steric and electronic properties for stabilizing reactive metal centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel heterobimetallic calcium-zinc acetylide derivatives.
- To explore the reactivity of calcium-zinc complexes with terminal alkynes.
- To investigate the influence of alkyne stoichiometry on product formation.
Main Methods:
- Reaction of a β-diketiminato calcium hydride dimer with a zinc complex in the presence of terminal alkynes.
- Crystallographic characterization of the resulting calcium-zinc acetylide derivatives.
- Analysis of ligand redistribution and substitution reactions.
Main Results:
- Synthesis of dialkynyl-(hydrido)-zincates and tetrakis-(alkynyl)-zincates by controlling alkyne equivalents.
- Observation of ligand redistribution leading to β-diketiminato calcium acetylides.
- Unexpected toluene activation and formation of a new complex upon attempting synthesis with differentiated alkynyl substituents.
Conclusions:
- The stoichiometry of terminal alkynes significantly influences the structure of heterobimetallic calcium-zinc acetylides.
- Calcium-zinc complexes exhibit diverse reactivity, including ligand redistribution and substrate activation.
- The study expands the scope of accessible calcium-zinc organometallic compounds.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:40Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Acid-Catalyzed Hydration
Introduction
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.
Analogous to alkenes, alkynes also undergo acid-catalyzed hydration. While the addition of water to an alkene gives an alcohol, hydration of alkynes produces different products such as aldehydes and ketones.
01:26EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents
EDTA titrations are usually carried out in highly basic conditions, where the fully deprotonated form of EDTA, Y4−, actively complexes with the free metal ions in the solution. Several metal ions precipitate as hydrous oxide (hydroxides, oxides, or oxyhydroxides) under these conditions, lowering the concentration of free metal ions in the solution. For this reason, auxiliary complexing agents or ligands such as ammonia, tartrate, citrate, or triethanolamine are used in EDTA titrations to...
01:32Aldehydes and Ketones with HCN: Cyanohydrin Formation Overview
Cyanohydrins are compounds that contain –CN and –OH groups on the same carbon atom. They are formed by the nucleophilic addition of the cyanide ions to the carbonyl group. Cyanide ions are highly basic and nucleophilic and can be generated from HCN under aqueous conditions. However, since HCN is a weak acid, the number of cyanide ions generated is very small. Hence, a small amount of base or KCN/NaCN is added to HCN to increase the concentration of the cyanide ions in the reaction mixture.
01:10Aldehydes and Ketones with HCN: Cyanohydrin Formation Mechanism
Cyanohydrins are formed when cyanide nucleophiles and carbonyl compounds like aldehydes and ketones react. A strong base, the cyanide ion, catalyzes cyanohydrin formation. The ions are generated from HCN under aqueous conditions. Once the cyanide ions are generated, the first step involves the nucleophilic attack of the cyanide ions on the electrophilic carbonyl carbon. This attack shifts the π electrons from the C=O to the oxygen atom forming the alkoxide ion intermediate. The alkoxide anion...
02:45Acid-Catalyzed Hydration of Alkenes
Alkenes react with water in the presence of an acid to form an alcohol. In the absence of acid, hydration of alkenes does not occur at a significant rate, and the acid is not consumed in the reaction. Therefore, alkene hydration is an acid-catalyzed reaction.
02:35Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Hydrohalogenation
Electrophilic addition of hydrogen halides, HX (X = Cl, Br or I) to alkenes forms alkyl halides as per Markovnikov's rule, where the hydrogen gets added to the less substituted carbon of the double bond. Hydrohalogenation of alkynes takes place in a similar manner, with the first addition of HX forming a vinyl halide and the second giving a geminal dihalide.