New acetylenes isolated from the bark of Heisteria acuminata

C M Kraus1, A Neszmélyi, S Holly

  • 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Munich, Germany.

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Structure and Physical Properties of Alkynes02:37

Structure and Physical Properties of Alkynes

Introduction:
In nature, compounds containing both carbon and hydrogen are known as "hydrocarbons". Aliphatic hydrocarbons are compounds whose molecules contain saturated single bonds (i.e., alkanes) or unsaturated double or triple bonds. Alkenes contain carbon–carbon double bonds and have a structural formula CnH2n. Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing carbon–carbon triple bonds are called "alkynes" and are structurally represented by the formula CnH2n-2.
The simplest alkyne is ethyne, or...
Nomenclature of Alkynes02:39

Nomenclature of Alkynes

Alkynes are unsaturated hydrocarbons characterized by the presence of carbon-carbon triple bonds and have a general formula CnH2n-2. The nomenclature of alkynes follows a set of rules similar to alkanes and alkenes; however, alkynes bear the suffix "-yne" instead of "-ane" or "-ene." There are two approaches to naming alkynes:
Acidity of 1-Alkynes02:42

Acidity of 1-Alkynes


The acidic strength of hydrocarbons follows the order: Alkynes > Alkenes > Alkanes. The strength of an acid is commonly expressed in units of pKa — the lower the pKa, the stronger the acid. Among the hydrocarbons, terminal alkynes have lower pKa values and are, therefore, more acidic. For example, the pKa values for ethane, ethene, and acetylene are 51, 44, and 25, respectively, as shown here.
Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction02:27

Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction

Introduction
Alkylation of terminal alkynes with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide is one of the common methods for the synthesis of longer carbon-chain alkynes. For example, treatment of 1-propyne with sodium amide followed by reaction with ethyl bromide yields 2-pentyne.
Preparation of Alkynes: Dehydrohalogenation02:34

Preparation of Alkynes: Dehydrohalogenation

Introduction
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.
α-Hydroxy Ketones via Reductive Coupling of Esters: Acyloin Condensation Overview01:19

α-Hydroxy Ketones via Reductive Coupling of Esters: Acyloin Condensation Overview

The pinacol and McMurry reactions involve the reductive coupling of ketones or aldehydes. Similarly, the bimolecular reductive coupling of two ester molecules in the presence of sodium metal in an aprotic solvent yields an α-hydroxy ketone product. The α-hydroxy ketone is also called acyloin, so the reaction is referred to as ‘acyloin condensation.’