Abstract
<jats:p>Alkenes are among the most versatile of chemical intermediates, yet certain classes of alkenes are not easily accessed from simple feedstocks. Enol ethers (a,b-unsaturated ethers or alkoxyalkenes) are prepared at scale from alkynes and alcohols, but with significant limitations in selectivity and scope. The dehydrogenation of aliphatic ethers to form enol ethers and dihydrogen (acceptorless dehydrogenation) would directly convert convenient precursors to valuable building blocks for polymer materials and pharmaceuticals. This work reports the photocatalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation of ethers, utilizing nickel hydride catalysts at ambient temperature under visible light. The mild conditions with a single nickel photocatalyst avoid side reactions of ethers typically observed under forcing thermal conditions.</jats:p>