H(2)O as the Hydrogen Donor: Stereo-Selective Synthesis of E- and Z-Alkenes by Palladium-Catalyzed Semihydrogenation of Alkynes

[Image: see text] It is very desirable to develop a facile controllable method for selective semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes with a cheap and safe hydrogen donor but remains a big challenge. H(2)O is one of the best choices of the transfer hydrogenation agent of the world, and the development of methods for synthesizing E- and Z-alkenes using H(2)O as the hydrogen source is worthwhile. In this article, a palladium-catalyzed synthesis of E- and Z-alkenes from alkynes using H(2)O as the hydrogenation agent was reported. The use of di-tert-butylphosphinous chloride (t-Bu(2)PCl) and triethanolamine/sodium acetate (TEOA/NaOAc) was essential for the stereo-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes. The general applicability of this procedure was highlighted by the synthesis of more than 48 alkenes, with good yields and high stereoselectivities.