The reaction of 1,2-dichloro-2-butyne (1) with an excess of lithium powder and a catalytic amount of 4,4'-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB, 2.5 mol %) in the presence of an electrophile [Me(3)SiCl, Bu(t)CHO, Me(2)CO, Et(2)CO, (CH2)(4)CO, (CH2)(5)CO, (CH2)(7)CO] in THF at -40 degrees C leads, after hydrolysis with water, to the corresponding disubstituted acetylenes 2 in moderate yields.