Highly efficient and selective synthesis of conjugated triynes and higher oligoynes of biological and materials chemical interest via palladium-catalyzed alkynyl-alkenyl coupling.

Iteration of a Pd-catalyzed reaction of alkynyl- and oligoynylzincs with (E)-ICH=CHCl followed by metalation-termination with electrophiles(E) has provided a linear route to conjugated tri- and tetraynes, and Pd-catalyzed monoalkynylation of 1,1-dibromoenynes accompanied by dehydrobromination has provided a convergent route to conjugated tri- , tetra- , and pentaynes. Both display unprecedented high efficiency and selectivity. [reaction: see text]