适于用作芳基、烯基、氰基和硝基还原的加氢催化剂。 雷尼镍主要用于不饱和化合物，如烯烃，炔烃，腈，二烯烃，芳香烃，含羰基的物质，乃至具有不饱和键的高分子的氢化反应。使用雷尼镍进行氢化有时甚至不需要特意加入氢化，仅凭活化后的雷尼镍中吸附的大量氢气即可完成反应。反应后得到的是顺位氢化产物。另外，雷尼镍也可以用于杂原子-杂原子键的还原。除了作为催化剂加氢，雷尼镍还将充当试剂参与有机含硫化合物如硫缩酮的脱硫生成烃类的反应。

Suitable as a hydrogenation catalyst for aromatic, olefin, nitrile and nitro group reductions. Used as reducing agent for hydrogenation of organic compounds, e.g. hydrogenation of nitriles to amines, reduction of aromatic groups to the corresponding saturated compounds, hydrogenation reaction of β-keto esters, rreduction of amination, and also used as 3-alkylation of oxindole with alcohol, and Ullman-type cross coupling, and dehalogenation reactions.