One-pot tandem reduction and site-selective halogenation of nitroarenes

Abstract

Halogenated aryl amines are a widely used chemical feedstock in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Achieving a single regioselective product from the para-selective halogenation of the aryl ring is significantly challenging because of the presence of several C–H bonds with similar reactivities. In this study, single para-halogenated aniline derivatives were prepared by the cascade para-selective halogenation (Cl, Br) and reduction of nitrobenzene derivatives using a mixture of SnCl₂/SnCl₄ salts. The mechanistic study confirmed that the noncovalent interactions between the chalcogen bond and Sn salt were pivotal for achieving regioselectivity. This synthetic method was applied for the development of potent and highly selective positron emission tomography molecular probes for serotonin transporters.