【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】Chinese scientists make new breakthroughs in the conversion of olefins into alkynes

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Alkenes and alkynes are important building blocks in modern synthetic chemistry, holding great value in terms of research and application. Chinese scientists, using a reagent with special properties, have overcome the international challenge of converting olefins into alkynes that has persisted for over a century, laying the foundation for the rapid production of structurally diverse alkynes and for the development of new drugs. The findings were published online in the internationally renowned journal Nature early on the 17th. Alkenes are widely used due to their abundance and low cost, whereas alkynes have a limited variety and high price. How to efficiently convert inexpensive olefins into alkynes remains a topic of ongoing interest in the scientific community. However, traditional methods for synthesizing alkynes from olefins require high temperatures and strong bases, resulting in harsh reaction conditions and a limited scope of application, which severely restricts the use of alkynes and the development of related industries. For a long time, the chemical community has been working hard on this issue, yet it has so far failed to find a mild and practical alternative.   The research team led by Professor Jiao Ning from the School of Pharmacy at Peking University and the National Key Laboratory of Natural and Bionic Drugs at Peking University abandoned the use of halogens in traditional methods. Through studies on catalytic properties, they discovered that the selenium-containing heterocyclic molecule – selenoanthracene – possesses a unique structure and excellent activity, enabling the efficient conversion of alkenes to alkynes under weakly basic and mild conditions.   It is reported that since their emergence over a hundred years ago, few studies have explored the use of such molecules in synthetic reactions. The research team found that the reaction involving selenoanthracene for the conversion of olefins to alkynes proceeds under mild conditions, is compatible with various sensitive functional groups, and enables the modification of complex molecules. At the same time, the preparation method of selenoanthracene is simple, it is stable and easy to store, and it can be recycled.   \"Using a wide range of commercially available olefins and naturally derived olefins as structural templates, we have successfully obtained high-value alkynes.\" ”Jiao Ning said that this research not only expands the synthetic routes for alkynes but also holds the potential to improve the supply structure of certain fine chemicals, reducing reliance on complex synthetic methods and providing more abundant and cost-effective sources of alkynes for industries such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and materials.