An efficient reduction system of benzaldehyde with hydrogen under ambient pressure was developed using facile NiO catalyst. The non-aromatic solvents such as cyclohexane, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and n-hexane, and the addi-tive with strong basicity e.g. KOH, were necessary for smooth conversion of the substrate. That the catalyst can be recov-ered and reused for nine times without loss of catalytic activity indicates that this catalyst is a recyclable one for benzal-dehyde reduction.
