Reduction of aromatic nitro

compounds to amines using zinc and

aqueous chelating ethers: Mild and
efficient method for zinc activation
Chemical Papers

August 2012, Volume 66, Issue 8, pp 772–778 | Cite as

Original Paper
First Online: 19 June 2012
Received: 16 September 2011
Revised: 25 March 2012
Accepted: 25 March 2012

3k Downloads
2 Citations

Abstract

A mild, environmentally friendly method for reduction of aromatic nitro group to

amine is reported, using zinc powder in aqueous solutions of chelating ethers. The
donor ether acts as a ligand and also serves as a co-solvent. Water is the proton
source. This procedure is also a new method for the activation of zinc for electron
transfer reduction of aromatic nitro compounds. The reduction is accomplished in a
neutral medium and other reducing groups remained unaffected. The ethers used
are dioxolane, 1,4-dioxane, ethoxymethoxyethane, dimethoxymethane, 1,2-
dimethoxyethane, and diglyme.

Keywords

reduction dioxolane chelating ether aqueous medium zinc

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Kumar, P.S. & Lokanatha Rai, K.M. Chem. Pap. (2012) 66: 772. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11696-012-
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