Copper(I) acetylide
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Copper(I)_acetylide".

Copper(I) acetylide
IUPAC name	Dicuprous acetylide
Identifiers
CAS number	1117-94-8
PubChem	19021056
SMILES	[C-]#[C-].[Cu+].[Cu+]
Properties
Molecular formula	C2Cu2
Molar mass	151.11 g/mol
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references

Copper(I) acetylide, or cuprous acetylide, is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula Cu₂C₂. It is a heat and shock sensitive high explosive, more sensitive than silver acetylide. It is a metal acetylide. It is similar to silver acetylide and calcium carbide, though it is not called carbide in literature.

Copper acetylide can be prepared by passing acetylene gas through copper(I) chloride solution in presence of ammonia:

C₂H₂ + 2CuCl → Cu₂C₂ + 2HCl

The reaction product is a reddish precipitate. The reaction is used as a test for acetylene.

Copper acetylide is an intermediate in several organic chemistry reactions, eg. Sonogashira coupling or Cadiot-Chodkiewicz coupling.

Copper acetylide can form inside pipes made of copper or an alloy with high copper content, which may result in violent explosion.¹ This was found to be the cause of explosions in acetylene plants, and led to abandonment of copper as a construction material in such plants.² Copper catalysts used in petrochemistry can also possess a degree of risk under certain conditions.³

References