Propyne

Production and equilibrium with propadiene

Propyne exists in equilibrium with propadiene, the mixture of propyne and propadiene being called MAPD:

The coefficient of equilibrium K_eq is 0.22 at 270 °C or 0.1 at 5 °C. MAPD is produced as a side product, often an undesirable one, by cracking propane to produce propene, an important feedstock in the chemical industry. MAPD interferes with the catalytic polymerization of propene.

Laboratory Methods

Propyne can also be synthesized on laboratory scale by reducing 1-propanol, allyl alcohol or acetone vapors over magnesium.

Use as a rocket fuel

European space companies have researched using light hydrocarbons with liquid oxygen as a relatively high performing liquid rocket propellant combination that would also be less toxic than the commonly used MMH/NTO (monomethylhydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide). Their research showed that propyne would be highly advantageous as a rocket fuel for craft intended for low Earth orbital operations. They reached this conclusion based upon a specific impulse expected to reach 370 s with oxygen as the oxidizer, a high density and power density—and the moderate boiling point, which makes the chemical easier to store than fuels that must be kept at extremely low temperatures. (See cryogenics.)

Organic chemistry

Propyne is a convenient three-carbon building block for organic synthesis. Deprotonation with n-butyllithium gives propynyllithium. This nucleophilic reagent adds to carbonyl groups, producing alcohols and esters. Whereas purified propyne is expensive, MAPP gas could be used to cheaply generate large amounts of the reagent.

Propyne, along with 2-butyne, is also used to synthesize alkylated hydroquinones in the total synthesis of vitamin E.