Alkylation of Terminal Alkynes:
Terminal alkynes
A terminal alkyne is described like an alkyne having a hydrogen substituent as shown in figure.
Figure: Terminal alkyne.
This hydrogen substituent is acidic and can be eliminated with strong base (for example sodium amide NaNH2) to generate an alkynide. This is an instance of an acid-base reaction.
Figure: Reaction of a terminal alkyne with a strong base.