Reactions of Acetylene in Superbasic Media

The results of studies of fundamentally new reactions of acetylene and its substituted derivatives in media of very high basicity are surveyed. They lead to hitherto unknown or relatively inaccessible monomers, reagents, and intermediates: 2-vinyloxybuta-1,3-diene, pyrroles, and N-vinylpyrroles, divinyl sulphide, divinyl telluride, 4-methylene-1,3-oxathiolan, di(buta-1,3-dienyl)sulphide, dihydrothiophen, 1-vinyl-2-thiabicyclo[3,2,0]hept-3-ene, etc.
The most important properties of superbasic media consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide and a dipolar aprotic solvent as well as the probable mechanisms of their activating effect on anions and the triple bond are examined. An attempt is made to analyse these reactions in terms of coordination catalysis by alkali metal cations.
The bibliography includes 199 references.