An effective medium of H2O and low-pressure CO2 for the selective hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds to anilines

Abstract

Chemoselective hydrogenation of water-insoluble aromatic nitro compounds can be achieved over Ni catalysts in a H₂O–compressed CO₂ system at 35–50 °C without using any environmentally harmful solvent. The effective CO₂ pressure is much lower than the critical pressure of CO₂. The hydrogenation of nitro group should be the rate-determining step.