The article describes the developed iridium-based catalytic system for (E) -selective transfer semi-hydrogenation of alkynes. A unique feature of this method is the possibility of stereoselectivity control by the metal-to-ligand ratio. The catalytic system is distinguished by high functional group tolerance (e.g. nitro, cyano, keto, formyl, ester, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonate), making it a valuable tool for organic synthesis. The observed intriguing dependence of ligand symmetry on catalytic activity may pave the way for efficient catalysts development. The presented methodology constitutes a solution to the common limitations of the known catalytic systems for alkyne semihydrogenation.
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