Homo-coupling of terminal alkynes on a noble metal surface.

The covalent linking of acetylenes presents an important route for the fabrication of novel carbon-based scaffolds and two-dimensional materials distinct from graphene. To date few attempts have been reported to implement this strategy at well-defined interfaces or monolayer templates. Here we demonstrate through real space direct visualization and manipulation in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations the Ag surface-mediated terminal alkyne C(sp)-H bond activation and concomitant homo-coupling in a process formally reminiscent of the classical Glaser-Hay type reaction.