Favorskii‐Babayan Reaction

Abstract

The base‐promoted or, ‐catalyzed ethynylation of aldehydes and ketones to produce secondary or tertiary acetylenic alcohols or glycols using anhydrous KOH or NaOH and is generally referred to as the Favorskii‐Babayan reaction or Favorskii reaction. Although it has been proposed that this reaction might involve a reaction between acetylene and the adduct from the ketone and KOH or a coupling of potassium acetylide with the carbonyl compounds, the most recent experimental results indicate that potassium hydroxide and acetylene first form a complex, rather than potassium acetylide in liquid ammonia, which then reacts with carbonyl compounds to form the acetylenic alcohols, where ammonia functions as a co‐catalyst. This reaction has been applied in the preparation of acetylenic alcohols that are used for nonionic surfactants.