Catalytic synthesis of isocyanates or carbamates from nitroaromatics using Group VIII transition metal catalysts

In order to produce various isocyanates, catalyzed carbonylations of nitroaromatic compounds constitute a set of very appealing reactions for industry. These environmentally benign reactions present many advantages over the traditional phosgene route actually used for isocyanate production. Group VIII metal complexes constitute currently the most interesting catalysts for these transformations and this review focuses on the academic research conducted in this field. After a brief introduction, some general data about the 'direct' and 'indirect' carbonylation processes is given and the most active catalytic systems developed for both transformations are described. Then, the mechanistic data available for specific catalytic systems are presented and the reaction schemes of these reactions thoroughly analyzed. Finally, industrial perspectives regarding reductive carbonylation reactions are briefly discussed before concluding. A review with 390 references. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.