Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Nitroalkenes to Nitroalkanes on Water under Atmospheric Pressure Catalyzed by a Water-Soluble Metal–Ligand Bifunctional Iridium Catalyst

The chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroalkenes to nitroalkanes on water under atmospheric pressure has been accomplished. In the presence of [Cp*Ir(6,6′-(OH) 2 -2,2′-bpy)(OH 2 )][OTf] 2 (0.5 mol %), a range of desirable products were obtained in high yields. In all case, nitro groups remains unchanged, indicating that reactions exhibited the complete selectivity for the hydrogenation of C═C bonds of nitroalkenes. OH functional groups in bpy ligand was confirmed to be crucially important for the catalytic activity of iridium complex.