Selective Nitro Reduction with an Iron-Based Catalyst

Singh et al. have reported the selective nitro reduction with an iron-based catalyst. According to their results, high chemo- and regioselective reduction of aromatic nitro compounds proceeds to give the corresponding amines using hydrazine hydrate as the hydrogen source, iron(II) phthalocyanine and iron sulfate as catalysts. The catalytic systems are compatible with a large range of other reducible functional groups, such as carboxylic acids, nitriles, and heterocycles. This protocol has attracted much attention as an eco-friendly method since it uses a green solvent system (H₂O—EtOH).