Structural relationships between dicopper diacetylide (Cu-C≡C-C≡C-Cu) and dicopper acetylide (Cu-C≡C-Cu)

Dicopper diacetylide Cu-C≡C-C≡C-Cu, prepared from butadiyne has been studied by FT-IR spectroscopy in comparison to dicopper acetylide Cu-C≡C-Cu. Upon ageing by exposure to air at room temperature, Cu-C≡C-Cu has been transformed into Cu-C≡C-C≡C-Cu as demonstrated by FT-IR spectroscopy and this compound is further transformed on standing in air. A special kind of solid state oxidative coupling reaction occurs so that polyynes chains are formed in these aged solids. It is shown that the FT-IR spectrum of copper acetylide prepared from ammonia solutions of Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions is comparable to that of air oxidized Cu-C≡C-Cu (and Cu-C≡C-C≡C-Cu) prepared exclusively from Cu⁺ ions in presence of a reducing agent demonstrating that Cu²⁺ ions display the same oxidizing effect as oxygen causing coupling reactions in solution and producing Cu-C≡C-C≡C-Cu.

Cu-C≡C-Cu oxidized at 60–70°C with CuCl₂ produces a product which could be formulated as Cu(C≡C)₂₀Cu; FT-IR absorption at 1950 cm⁻¹ could suggest the presence of cumulenic carbon chain although acetylenic carbon chains cannot be excluded completely.