Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions for building carbon-carbon bonds have received extensive attention due to their high efficiency and selectivity. In recent years, electrophiles which containing C(sp³)—O bonds have been used to replace organic halides in cross-coupling reactions for the construction of C(sp³)—C bonds, due to their advantages of commercial availability or facile synthesis, high reaction selectivity, and environmental friendliness. Among those reported highly efficient catalysts, nickel catalysts have been gradually applied to such reactions and achieved remarkable advances due to their earth-abundant, cheap, unique catalytic activities and selectivity. Because of the small radius of the nickel atom, C(sp³)—Ni can inhibit and/or manipulate β-H elimination reactions, which reduces the formation of by-products. Nickel has several variable valence states and can flexibly participate in redox-neutral coupling reactions and reductive cross-coupling reactions. The latest research progress in nickel-catalyzed coupling reactions employing alcohol derivatives as electrophiles is reviewed. It is separated into four sections including nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions involving methanol or primary alcohol derivatives, nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions involving secondary alcohol derivatives, nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions involving acetal and N,O-acetal derivatives, and nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions involving tertiary alcohol derivatives.

Key words: Ni catalyst, alcohol derivatives, cross-coupling reactions, stereospecific synthesis, asymmetric catalysis