Nonafluorobutanesulfonyl azide as a shelf-stable highly reactive oxidant for the copper-catalyzed synthesis of 1,3-diynes from terminal alkynes.

Nonafluorobutanesulfonyl azide is a highly efficient reagent for the copper-catalyzed coupling of terminal alkynes to give symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes in good to excellent yields and with good functional group compatibility. The reaction is extremely fast (<10 min), even at low temperature (−78 °C), and requires substoichiometric amounts of a simple copper(I) or copper(II) salt (2–5 mol %) and an organic base (0.6 mol %). A possible mechanistic pathway is briefly discussed on the basis of model DFT theoretical calculations. The quantitative assessment of the safety of use and shelf stability of nonafluorobutanesulfonyl azide has confirmed that this reagent is a superior and safe alternative to other electrophilic azide reagents in use today.