Selective partial hydrogenation of alkynes to (Z)-alkenes with ionic liquid-doped nickel nanocatalysts at near ambient conditions

Abstract

A selective hydrogenation method for forming (Z)-alkenes from alkynes has been developed using a catalyst system of cheap Ni-NPs in a nitrile functionalised imidazolium based ionic liquid (IL) operating under very mild reaction conditions of 30-50 °C and 1-4 bar H2 pressure.