Selective reduction of nitro-compounds to primary amines by nickel-catalyzed hydrosilylative reduction

Abstract

Ni(acac)₂ and PMHS were found to be an excellent catalytic system for the chemoselective transfer hydrogenation of nitro-compounds to primary amines. Under mild conditions a series of nitro-compounds containing a variety of sensitive functional groups including aldehydes, esters, cyano, and nitrine were reduced to their corresponding amines in good to excellent yields with no byproduct.