A series of Al, Mn, Cu and Fe metal-containing mesoporous carbon catalysts were synthesized for catalyzing selective reduction of carbon-carbon double bond in 4-nitrostilbene analogs bearing nitro group with hydrazine hydrate. The results indicated that the reduction reaction was able to be achieved successfully between carbon-carbon double bond and nitro group. The efficient method has been developed for the reduction of C=C double bonds with diimide, catalytically generated in situ from hydrazine hydrate by the synthesized catalysts. The 0.15Al-MC1 as heterogeneous catalyst exhibited the highest catalysis activity and chemoselectivity in all synthesized catalysts. In the presence of 0.15Al-MC1, the reduction of carbon carbon double bond in 4-nitrostilbene derivatives was up to 99% yield and >99% chemoselectivity at 70 degrees C in ethanol. On the other hand, the high selective reduction of nitro group in 4-nitrostilbenes was also facile to be achieved with hydrazine hydrate, active carbon and FeCl3 center dot 6H(2)O under inert atmosphere. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.