Silica-supported Cu (Cu/SiO2) catalyst prepared by using organic additive-assisted impregnation was employed for the chemoselective hydrogenation of a C=O bond in 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (1) to produce 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol (2) in a vapor phase at a temperature between 140 and 200 °C and an ambient pressure of H2flow. The Cu was responsible for the selectivity to 2, and the organic additive increased the Cu surface area (SACu), which consecutively enhanced the performance of the Cu/SiO2catalyst. The proportional correlation between the SACuand the formation rate of 2further confirmed the benefits of the utilization of organic additives during the impregnation protocol.Graphical abstractSilica-supported Cu (Cu/SiO2) catalyst prepared by using organic additive-assisted impregnation was efficient for hydrogenation of 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (1) to 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol (2) in a vapor phase at a temperature of between 140 and 200 °C. The Cu was responsible for selectivity to 2, and the organic additive increased the surface area of Cu (SACu), increasing the performance of the Cu/SiO2catalyst. The formation rate of 2was proportional to the SACu.