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 Csp− H bond activation and …