Inventive technique transforms a common reagent into a multifunctional tool for pharmaceutical synthesis

Calcium carbide (CaC2) is a simple molecule used worldwide to produce industrial-scale quantities of the fuel known as acetylene gas (see image). Chemists have found ways to generate CaC2 from sustainable biomass resources, making this compound even more attractive as a fundamental 'building block' for organic chemistry. Direct use of CaC2 as a synthetic reagent, however, is rare because it has poor solubility in most organic solvents.

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