Method for highly selectively reducing alkyne to generate Z-olefin

The invention discloses a method for highly selectively reducing an alkyne to a Z-olefin. The method comprises the steps of adding cuprous chloride, a ligand and potassium t-butoxide to a Schlenk reaction tube, conducting vacuumizing, adding an organic solvent A under protective gas conditions, and conducting uniform stirring at room temperature; and then dissolving a diphenylacetylene compound shown in a formula I and bis(pinacolato)diboron in an organic solvent B to obtain a solution, dropwise adding the solution to the reaction tube, conducting stirring for reaction at room temperature for1-12 hours, and conducting post-treatment on an obtained reaction solution to obtain a Z-olefin and derivatives thereof represented by a formula II, wherein the ligand is 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolium chloride or 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium chloride. The method takes safe cheap ethanol as a hydrogen source, is mild in reaction conditions, saves energy consumption, and inaddition, has the characte