Nitro aliphatic, reduction

Oxime deoxygenation by titanium(III) chloride spurred investigation of this agent for reducing nitro aliphatics the method is applicable to other nitro compounds. - The active species are thought to be ArN02H and a hydrolyzed form of titanium(II). The reaction conditions have been optimized for the reduction of aromatic and even heteroaromatic nitro compounds. ... 

The value of the catalytic transfer hydrogenation route is demonstrated by the selective, high yield and rapid reduction of nitro aliphatic compounds to their corresponding amine derivatives using anhydrous ammonium formate (equation 26). A wide variety of nitro compounds are reduced in the presence of other functional groups including acids, esters and nitriles. Furthermore, the method is stereospecific and proceeds with retention of configuration pure racemic syn-nitro alcohols (39a) and (39b) were converted to the 5yn-amino alcohols (40a) and (40b) and the axial nitrosteroid (41a) afforded the 63-amine (41b). 

Titanium(II) reagents have also been used to reduce aliphatic nitro compounds to amines halo, cyano and ester groups are not reduced. Sodium borohydride, in the presence of catalytic amounts of nickel(II) chloride, reduces a variety of aliphatic nitro compounds to amines. Nickel boride (Ni2B) is an active catalyst for reductions of primary, secondary and tertiary nitro aliphatic compounds to amines. The reduction of nitrocyclohexane (45) yields cyclohexylamine (47) as well as small amounts of dicyclohexylamine (49), the latter being formed via reaction of intermediates (46) and (48 equation 28). 

For the detection and identification of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds reduction is used (catalytic with hydrogen or with the system metal plus HCl) amines formed on reduction can be detected and identified by methods described on p. 317. 

Scheme 2.15 Proposed reaction mechanism of the two pathways for aliphatic sec-nitro compounds reduction catalyzed by nitrate reductases [50,51].

Formic acid is a good reducing agent in the presence of Pd on carbon as a catalyst. Aromatic nitro compounds are reduced to aniline with formic acid[100]. Selective reduction of one nitro group in 2,4-dinitrotoluene (112) with triethylammonium formate is possible[101]. o-Nitroacetophenone (113) is first reduced to o-aminoacetophenone, then to o-ethylaniline when an excess of formate is used[102]. Ammonium and potassium formate are also used for the reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds. Pd on carbon is a good catalyst[103,104]. NaBH4 is also used for the Pd-catalyzed reduction of nitro compounds 105]. However, the ,/)-unsaturated nitroalkene 114 is partially reduced to the oxime 115 with ammonium formate[106]... 

Neta.1 Ama.lga.ms. Alkali metal amalgams function in a manner similar to a mercury cathode in an electrochemical reaction (63). However, it is more difficult to control the reducing power of an amalgam. In the reduction of nitro compounds with an NH4(Hg) amalgam, a variety of products are possible. Aliphatic nitro compounds are reduced to the hydroxylamines, whereas aromatic nitro compounds can give amino, hydra2o, a2o, or a2oxy compounds. 

Catalytic reduction of fluormated aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds to give oximes and amines was described previously, as was the use of dissolving metals to prepare amines [Si] Refmement of these techniques has resulted in optimized yields and, as indicated in equations 69 and 70, in selective reductions [S6, 87]... 

Two different sets of experimental conditions have been used. Buu-Hoi et al. and Hansen have employed the method introduced by Papa et using Raney nickel alloy directly for the desulfurization in an alkaline medium. Under these conditions most functional groups are removed and this method is most convenient for the preparation of aliphatic acids. The other method uses Raney nickel catalysts of different reactivity in various solvents such as aqueous ammonia, alcohol, ether, or acetone. The solvent and activity of the catalyst can have an appreciable influence on yields and types of compounds formed, but have not yet been investigated in detail. In acetic anhydride, for instance, desulfurization of thiophenes does not occur and these reaction conditions have been employed for reductive acetylation of nitrothiophenes. Even under the mildest conditions, all double bonds are hydrogenated and all halogens removed. Nitro and oxime groups are reduced to amines. 

Electrochemically generated nickel is very selective for the reduction of ai compounds into anilines, in which alkenyl, alkyhyl, halo, cytino, formyl, ind benzyloxy groups are not affected. Sodium snlfide has been used for the selective reduction of at group in the presence of aliphatic nitro groups (Tq. 6.44. ... 

Aromatic nitro compounds are hydrogenated very easily aliphatic nitro compounds considerably more slowly. Hydrogenations have been carried out successfully under a wide range of conditions including vapor phase (S9). Usually the goal of reduction is the amine, but at times the reduction is arrested at the intermediate hydroxylamine or oxime stage nitroso compounds never accumulate, although their transient presence may appreciably influence the course of reaction. In practice, nitro compounds often contain other reducible functions that are to be either maintained or reduced as well. 

Hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds is very fast, and the rate is limited often by the rate of hydrogen transfer to the catalyst. It is accordingly easy to use inadvertently more catalyst than is actually necessary. Aliphatic nitro compounds are reduced much more slowly than are aromatic, and higher catalyst loadings (6,11) or relatively lengthy reduction times may be... 

Notable examples of general synthetic procedures in Volume 47 include the synthesis of aromatic aldehydes (from dichloro-methyl methyl ether), aliphatic aldehydes (from alkyl halides and trimethylamine oxide and by oxidation of alcohols using dimethyl sulfoxide, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and pyridinum trifluoro-acetate the latter method is particularly useful since the conditions are so mild), carbethoxycycloalkanones (from sodium hydride, diethyl carbonate, and the cycloalkanone), m-dialkylbenzenes (from the />-isomer by isomerization with hydrogen fluoride and boron trifluoride), and the deamination of amines (by conversion to the nitrosoamide and thermolysis to the ester). Other general methods are represented by the synthesis of 1 J-difluoroolefins (from sodium chlorodifluoroacetate, triphenyl phosphine, and an aldehyde or ketone), the nitration of aromatic rings (with ni-tronium tetrafluoroborate), the reductive methylation of aromatic nitro compounds (with formaldehyde and hydrogen), the synthesis of dialkyl ketones (from carboxylic acids and iron powder), and the preparation of 1-substituted cyclopropanols (from the condensation of a 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol derivative and ethyl-... 

When aliphatic nitro compounds are used instead of aldehydes or ketones, no reduction occurs, and the reaction is essentially a Knoevenagel reaction, though it is usually also called a Tollens reaction ... 

Reduction of Aliphatic Nitro Compounds to Oximes or Nitriies... 

For a review of selective reduction of aliphatic nitro compounds without disturbance of other functional groups, see Ioffe, S.L. Tartakovskii, V.A. Novikov, S.S. Russ. Chem. Rev., 1966, 35, 19. 

Fig. 21 Reaction scheme for the detection of aromatics, by means of the reaction sequence, nitration, reduction, diazotization and coupling to an azo dye, and of aliphatic nitro compounds by detection of the primary amino group produced on reduction.

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