Is the tungsten(IV) complex (NEt)[WO(mnt)] a functional analogue of acetylene hydratase?

The tungsten(IV) complex (EtN)[W(O)(mnt)] (; mnt = maleonitriledithiolate) was proposed (Sarkar et al., , , 4315) to be a functional analogue of the active center of the enzyme acetylene hydratase from , which hydrates acetylene (ethyne; ) to acetaldehyde (ethanal; ). In the absence of a satisfactory mechanistic proposal for the hydration reaction, we considered the possibility of a metal-vinylidene type activation mode, as it is well established for ruthenium-based alkyne hydration catalysts with anti-Markovnikov regioselectivity.