Ligand Control of E/Z Selectivity in Nickel-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenative Alkyne Semireduction

A nickel-catalyzed transfer hydrogenative alkyne semireduction protocol that can be applied to both internal and terminal alkynes using formic acid and Zn as the terminal reductants has been developed. In the case of internal alkynes, the (E)- or (Z)-olefin isomer can be accessed selectively under the same reaction conditions by judicious inclusion of a triphos ligand.