Iron-Mediated Direct Ortho- Nitration of Anilides and Aromatic Sulfonamides under Aerobic Oxidation Conditions

Direct ortho-nitration of anilides and aromatic sulfonamides employing inexpensive, nontoxic and readily available iron reagent is described. It is proposed that the aromatic nitration reaction operates through a single electron transfer (SET) mechanism and is effective in the absence of additive. The reaction produced a variety of mono nitrated derivatives with moderate to excellent yields. The reaction provides a practical method for the synthesis of nitro compounds owing to its simple experimental procedure, mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope and the functional group compatibility.