Catalyst-free water mediated reduction of nitroarenes using glucose as a hydrogen source

The highly chemo- and regioselctive reduction of nitroarenes to their corresponding amines has been carried out using D-glucose as a hydrogen source in H₂O : DMSO (1 : 1). The method is simple, inexpensive, easily scaled-up and applicable to the preparation of different substituted anilines. Advantageously, the present method does not require any catalyst, elaborated experimental setup or the use of high-pressure equipment compared with conventional hydrogenation methods.