Acetylide Ion (C₂²⁻) as a Synthon To Link Electrophiles and Nucleophiles: A Simple Method for Enaminone Synthesis

Friendly competition: A three-component reaction system composed of calcium carbide, an aryl aldehyde, and an amine gave enaminones or propargylamines (see picture) in a predictable manner through competitive pathways. The system enables the cost-efficient synthesis of a variety of enaminones from readily accessible small molecules and demonstrates the versatility of the acetylide ion, which can be used to bridge electrophiles and nucleophiles.