Chemo- and stereoselective synthesis of Z-alkenes via electrochemical Pd-catalyzed alkyne reduction†

Abstract

In this study, we introduce an electrocatalytic reaction for hydrogenating alkynes to Z-alkenes, which demonstrates exceptional efficiency with high chemo- and stereoselectivity. Control experiments reveal that hydrogen primarily originates from the solvent, supporting a mechanism where palladium catalyzes continuous hydrogen adsorption and transfer under cathodic conditions. The synthetic value of the Z-alkene products, the mild, green nature of the method, and successful gram-scale experiments underscore the potential of this approach for practical and industrial applications, offering a more sustainable and scalable alternative to traditional catalytic processes for selective alkene synthesis.