Synthesis, Chemistry, and Photochemistry of Methylcyanobutadiyne in the Context of Space Science

An alternative preparation of methylcyanobutadiyne (MeC5N), a molecule present in the interstellar medium, was established in order to circumvent tedious steps from previous methods. The possibility of forming methylcyanoacetylene and MeC5N by gas-phase photolysis was evaluated from relevant acetylene derivatives in the context of space science. The reactivity of MeC5N toward simple nucleophiles was investigated. The exclusive formation of E adducts was observed, together with a solvent dependence for the regioselectivity of the addition.