Although viewed as a difficult probleml, selective catalytic hydrogenations of unsaturated aldehydes to unsaturated alcohols have been achieved in several instances using a variety of catalytic systems and are well reported2. In unpublished work done a few years ago3, we hydrogenated citral (1) and citronella1 (1) to citronellol (2) using a chromium-promoted Raney nickel catalyst in the presence of methanol. Citronellol is produced in 94% yield in 2 to 6 hours at 75' and about 45 psi of hydrogen. However, catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated aliphatic ketones proceed normally with preferential saturation of the olefinic group'+. There appear to be very few exceptions. One is an a,B-unsaturated ketone PhaCH=CH.COaCH3 that is hydrogenated to PhvCH=CH.CH(OH)CH3 in the presence of colloidal Pd and promoters5. Another example is the tetra-substituted olefinic ketone (41, which is converted to the corresponding unsaturated carbinol with platinum oxide in ethanols. We have now achieved preferential reduction of the keto group in 2, 6, l, 8 and 2 and, thus, have obtained the corresponding unsaturated alcohols using chromium-promoted Raney nickel catalyst in the presence of a strong inorganic base and methanol. The catalvtic system is quite specific. Substitution of the chromium-promoted Raney nickel by any other metal catalyst commonly used in catalytic hydrogenations, or omission of the base or of the methanol, result in non-selectivity. Alcohols other than methanol and to some degree of ethanol are ineffective. % of Components after Hydrogenationa Ex. # Ketone Reaction Original Unsaturated Saturated Saturated Time/Hrs.