Observation of a single-pot aromatic reductive denitration

Article abstract of DOI:10.1139/v97-054

4,N,N-Trimethyl-3-nitrobenzenamine gave reductive denitration products (ca. 28%) upon treatment with n-butyl nitrite in the presence of catalytic amounts of ammonium chloride and water in an unprecedented one-reagent single-pot process. The three isomeric N,N-dimethylnitrobenzenamines showed the same behaviour to a much lesser extent; the ortho isomer was partially (7%) transformed into 1-methylbenzotriazole.