H2O as the Sole Hydrogen Source for Ni-Catalyzed Reduction of Alkenes

Herein, we reported a nickel catalyzed hydrogenation of alkenes with water as the sole hydrogen source. Employing Zn as reductant and water as solvent in the presence of a catalytic amount of nickel catalyst led to direct hydrogenation of a series of electron-rich and electron-deficient alkenes in high yields. This protocol features unprecedented heterocycle and functional group tolerance under facile and mild conditions. Selective hydrogenation of the substrates containing additional reducible functionalities, such as alkenyl, alkynyl, chloride, ketone, and benzyl group etc, was also realized.