Patent ID: 7456325

Claim:
A process for performing a coupling reaction between acetaldehyde and a terminal alkyne to yield a hydroxyalkyne comprising the steps of; (i) reacting without solvent, a terminal alkyne with zinc triflate in the presence of (+) -or (−)-N-methylephedrine and a cyclic amine base selected from the group consisting of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), 1,5-diazabicyclo-[4.3.0]non-5-ene and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, to form a metal-alkyne complex, and (ii) adding a solution of acetaldeyde in a solvent selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon, an aromatic hydrocarbon, an ether, an alcohol and a chlorinated hydrocarbon to the metal alkyne complex.