Reductive cleavage of C–X (F, Cl, Br, I) bonds catalyzed by cheap and abundant RANEY® nickel in water

Abstract

An efficient hydrodehalogenation reaction was developed using RANEY® nickel as the catalyst. In aqueous media, a wide range of aryl halides (F, Cl, Br, and I) were efficiently reduced to the corresponding arenes with excellent yields using hydrogen gas as the reductant. Additionally, alkyl halides (F, Cl, Br, and I) can also undergo efficient dehalogenation. This method features a broad substrate scope, a ligand-free catalytic system, and excellent atom economy.