A ruthenium complex [triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, Ru 3 (CO) 12 ] in the presence of bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride ([PPN]Cl) catalyzes the conjugate addition of terminal alkynes to alkyl acrylates to give high yields of g,d-alkynyl esters. On the other hand, the linear codimerization reaction of terminal alkynes with alkyl acrylates proceeds in the presence of a catalytic amount of Ru 3 (CO) 12 and lithium iodide to give the corresponding conjugate dienes. These two different types of catalytic carbon-carbon bond forming reactions are controlled only by the nature of halide ions, either a chloride or an iodide, with other conditions being kept almost the same.