Compounds to amines

The Zinin reduction is also usehil for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds to amines in the laboratory. It requires no special equipment, as is the case with catalytic hydrogenations, and is milder than reductions with iron and acid. Usually ammonium or alkah sulfides, hydrosulftdes or polysulftdes are used as the reactant with methanol or ethanol as the solvent. 

Electrolytic reductions generally caimot compete economically with chemical reductions of nitro compounds to amines, but they have been appHed in some specific reactions, such as the preparation of aminophenols (qv) from aromatic nitro compounds. For example, in the presence of sulfuric acid, cathodic reduction of aromatic nitro compounds with a free para-position leads to -aminophenol [123-30-8] hy rearrangement of the intermediate N-phenyl-hydroxylamine [100-65-2] (61). 

In the reduction of nitro compounds to amines, several of the iatermediate species are stable and under the right conditions, it is possible to stop the reduction at these iatermediate stages and isolate the products (see Figure 1, where R = CgH ). Nitrosoben2ene [586-96-9] C H NO, can be obtained by electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene [98-95-3]. Phenylhydroxylamine, C H NHOH, is obtained when nitrobenzene reacts with ziac dust and calcium chloride ia an alcohoHc solution. When a similar reaction is carried out with iron or ziac ia an acidic solution, aniline is the reduction product. Hydrazobenzene [122-66-7] formed when nitrobenzene reacts with ziac dust ia an alkaline solution. Azoxybenzene [495-48-7], C22H2QN2O, is... 

Nickel compounds Hydrogenations (e.g. Raney nickel) Conversion of synthesis gas to methane Reduction of organo nitro compounds to amines Carcinogenic (nickel subsulphide). Skin sensitization... 

Analogous to DPNH (144-146), 1,4-dihydropyridines (147) act as reducing agents. For instance, the conversion of aromatic nitro compounds to amines (148) and reduction of enones to ketones (749) has been achieved. 

The hydrogenation in the presence of Pd/G is also effective for the d compounds to amines. The Michael addition of nitromethime to 2-alkenoic esters followed by catalytic hydrogenation using 10% Pd/G in acetic acid md hydrolysis is a convenient method for the preparation of 3-alkyl-4-aminobut moic acids, which are importimt y-amino acids for biological snidy fEq. 6.48. The reduction c m be carried out at room temperanire md atmospheric pressure. 

Hydrogen gas can be replaced by ammonium formate for the reduction of nitro compounds to amines. The ammonium formate method is efficient, and the rapid workup procedure by simple filtratkin makes it widely used for converting the NO to the NH. ° For example, ct-nitro esters are reduced to ct-amino esters in excellent yields on treatment v/ith HCO NH and PdAZ in methanol. ... 

Azo, azoxy, and hydrazo compounds can all be reduced to amines. Metals (notably zinc) and acids, and Na2S204, are frequently used as reducing agents. Borane reduces azo compounds to amines, though it does not reduce nitro compounds. " Lithium aluminum hydride does not reduee hydrazo compounds or azo compounds, though with the latter, hydrazo compounds are sometimes isolated. With azoxy compounds, LiAHLj gives only azo compounds (19-48). 

Bechamp A process for reducing organic nitro-compounds to amines, using iron, ferrous salts, and acetic acid. Invented by A. J. Bechamp in 1854 and still used for making certain aromatic amines. 

Iron(II) sulphate is a by-product in many industrial processes, such as the manufacture of titanium dioxide, the pickling of steel sheet before galvanising and the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds to amines using iron catalysts. Conversion of waste iron (II) salts to usable iron oxide pigments, where the quality requirements are not too stringent, is therefore a useful proposition, since it uses up chemicals that would otherwise be regarded as waste products. 

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation has the advantage of milder reaction conditions compared to catalytic hydrogenation. The development of various electrode materials (e.g., massive electrodes, powder cathodes, polymer film electrodes) and the optimization of reaction conditions have led to highly selective electrocatalytic hydrogenations. These are very suitable for the conversion of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds to amines and a, fi-unsaturated ketones to saturated ketones. The field is reviewed with 173 references in [158]. While the reduction of conjugated enones does not always proceed chemoselectively at a Hg cathode, the use of a carbon felt electrode coated with polyviologen/Pd particles provided saturated ketones exclusively (Fig. 34) [159]. 

Scheme 154 Zinc-mediated reduction of nitroaryl compounds to amines.

Once a favorite reducing agent for the conversion of aromatic nitro compounds to amines, tin is used nowadays only exceptionally. The reason is partly unavailability, the necessity for the use of strongly acidic media, and... 

Divalent chromium reduces triple bonds to double bonds (trans where applicable) [195], enediones to diones [196], epoxides to alkenes [192] and aromatic nitroso, nitro and azoxy compounds to amines [190], deoxygenates amine oxides [191], and replaces halogens by hydrogen [197,198],... 

The most popular reducing agent for conversion of aromatic nitro compounds to amines is iron [166]. It is cheap and gives good to excellent yields [165, 582]. The reductions are usually carried out in aqueous or aqueous alcoholic media and require only catalytic amounts of acids (acetic, hydrochloric) or salts such as sodium chloride, ferrous sulfate or, better still, ferric chloride [165]. Thus the reductions are run essentially in neutral media. The rates of the reductions and sometimes even the yields can be increased by using iron in the form of small particles [165]. Iron is also suitable for reduction of complex nitro derivatives since it does not attack many functional groups [555]. 

Hydrazo compounds were hydrogenolyzed to primary amines by catalytic hydrogenation over palladium [740]. Since hydrazo compounds are intermediates in the reductive cleavage of azo compounds to amines it is very likely that all the reducing agents converting azo compounds to amines cleave also the hydrazo compounds (p. 96). 

The Conversion of Organometallic Compounds to Amines Amlno-de-metallation... 

---