Selective hydrogenation.: I.: para-chloronitrobenzene to para-chloroaniline platinum on carbon as catalyst

p-Chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) was selectively hydrogenated to p-chloroaniline (p-CA) using 5% Pt/C as catalyst. Using Pt/C as catalyst and with the proper choice of process conditions it was possible to obtain p-CA with 99% selectivity at a conversion level of 85%; implying that hydro-dehalogenation is minimized. The reaction was first order with respect to hydrogen and first order with respect to p-CNB, The energy of activation was 10.2 kcal/gmole.