Synthesis of (E)-1,2-divinyl-1,2-diethynylethene (DVDEE) via the palladium-catalyzed reaction of conjugated diynes. A new building block for molecular scaffolding.

Conjugated diynes undergo dimerization in the presence of acetic acid and catalytic amounts of Pd(PPh3)4. The unprecedented reaction gives a novel chromophore containing the (E)-1,2-divinyl-1.2-diethynylethene (DVDEE) module, which is a potentially viable building block for acetylenic scaffolding.