High Turnover Pd/C Catalyst for Nitro Group Reductions in Water. One-Pot Sequences and Syntheses of Pharmaceutical Intermediates

Commercially available Pd/C can be used as a catalyst for nitro group reductions with only 0.4 mol % Pd loading. The reaction can be performed using either silane as a transfer hydrogenating agent or simply a hydrogen balloon (similar to 1 atm pressure). With this technology, a series of nitro compounds was reduced to the desired amines in high chemical yields. Both the catalyst and surfactant were recycled several times without loss of reactivity.

Automated summary

Commercially available Pd/C catalyst with only 0.4 mol % Pd loading can be used for nitro group reductions. The reaction can be carried out using silane or a hydrogen balloon, resulting in high yields of desired amines. Both the catalyst and surfactant can be recycled without loss of reactivity.