The activation of dihydrogen is a phenomenon that, until recent years, was associated primarily with transition metals. Significant developments have seen main group complexes reported for the activation of dihydrogen, and applications of these systems in catalytic hydrogenation. The activation of dihydrogen using zinc compounds has received little attention. Zinc, as a post-transition metal, does not employ its d-electrons and so its reactivity is likely to mimic that of a main group center.