Environmentally Benign and Selective Reduction of Nitroarenes with Fe in Pressurized CO2—H2O Medium.

A new method for reduction of nitroarenes employing metallic iron in pressurized CO2–H2O medium has been developed. p-Chloronitrobenzene can be reduced to the corresponding amine with a yield of 99% under the optimized conditions. The method is also applicable for the reduction of other substituted nitroarenes. After the reduction, the reaction mixture is self-neutralized on releasing of CO2. The method is environmentally benign, easily scaled-up and applicable for the preparation of substituted anilines.