Basics of acetylide complexes and their use in the production of nanostructured materials

Abstract

A substance in which a metal ion is bonded to an acetylide anion (R-C≡C⁻) is called an acetylide. Because of the instability of the acetylide anion, which has a negative charge and unsaturated bonds on carbon, the ethynyl group polymerizes while the metal ion is reduced by light or heating, resulting in the decomposition of the acetylide into a nano-sized mixture of neutral metal and carbonaceous materials. Using this reaction, it is possible to construct aligned metal nanoparticles or nanoporous graphitic carbon materials.