Patent ID: 7105707

Claim:
A process for the production of an acetylene compound having the formula Ar—C≡CR comprising reacting an aryl nitrile having the formula Ar—CN with an alkynylzinc or alkynylmagnesium compound having the formula RC≡C—M—X, or with a bis-alkynylzinc compound having the formula RC≡C—Zn—C≡CR, in the presence of a catalyst comprising nickel and a phosphine ligand having the formula CH 3 P(R 2 )(R 3 ) in which R 2 and R 3 may be the same or different and are selected from C 1 –C 12 alkyl, C 1 –C 12 alkoxy, aryl, and aryloxy, wherein Ar represents an optionally substituted aromatic moiety; R represents hydrogen, an optionally substituted aromatic moiety, an optionally substituted aliphatic moiety, or a silyl group; M represents zinc or magnesium; and X represents Cl, Br, I, a catecholate group, or a group —OR, or —SR 1 in which R 1 represents optionally substituted C 1 –C 8 alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, or optionally substituted aryl(C 1 –C 8 )alkyl.