How Are Arylamines Synthesized

As we have already seen (Section 9.6B), the nitration of an aromatic ring introduces a NOg group. A particular value of nitration is the fact that the resulting nitro group can be reduced to a primary amino group, —NH2, by hydrogenation in the presence of a transition metal catalyst such as nickel, palladium, or platinum  

This method has the potential disadvantage that other susceptible groups, such as a carbon-carbon double bond, and the carbonyl group of an aldehyde or ketone, may also be reduced. Note that neither the —COOH nor the aromatic ring is reduced under these conditions. Alternatively, a nitro group can be reduced to a primary amino group by a metal in acid  

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