Reactivity of primary and secondary alcohols in nucleophilic addition to a triple bond: The vinylation of butane-1,3-diol

Article abstract of DOI:10.1007/BF02498288

Acetylene adds to butane-1,3-diol in the presence of KOH to give, along with the corresponding divinyl ether and 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane, 4-vinyloxybutan-2-ol and its structural isomer 3-vinyloxybutan-1-ol, the ratio between the latter two products, (5 - 8) : 1, depending on the reaction conditions.