Dinuclear Cobalt Complex-Catalyzed Stereodivergent Semireduction of Alkynes: Switchable Selectivities Controlled by H2O

Catalytic semireduction of internal alkynes to alkenes is very important for organic synthesis. Although great success has been achieved in this area, switchable Z/E stereoselectivity based on a single catalyst for the semireduction of internal alkynes is a longstanding challenge due to the multi-chemo- and stereoselectivity, especially based on less-expensive earth-abundant metals. Herein, we describe a switchable semireduction of alkynes to (Z)- or (E)-alkenes catalyzed by a dinuclear cobalt complex supported by a macrocyclic bis pyridyl diimine (PDI) ligand. It was found that cis-reduction of the alkyne occurs first and the Z–E alkene stereoisomerization process is formally controlled by the amount of H2O, since the concentration of H2O may influence the catalytic activity of the catalyst for isomerization. Therefore, this protocol provides a facile way to switch to either the (Z)- or (E)-olefin isomer in a single transformation by adjusting the amount of water.