PUBLISHED IN ITS FINAL FORM ON: Chem. Rev. 2019, 119, 2611-2680. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00547 REDUCTION OF NITRO COMPOUNDS USING 3d- NON-NOBLE METAL CATALYSTS Dario Formenti, Francesco Ferretti, Florian Korbinian Scharnagl, and Matthias Beller* Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a, 18059 Rostock, Germany Corresponding author e-mail:
[email protected] Dedicated to Dr. Michelangelo Scalone, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, for his important contributions to catalysis. ABSTRACT. The reduction of nitro compounds to the corresponding amines is one of the most utilized catalytic processes in the fine and bulk chemical industry. The latest development of catalysts with cheap metals like Fe, Co, Ni and Cu has led to their tremendous achievements over the last years prompting to their greater application as “standard” catalysts. In this review we will comprehensively discuss the use of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts based on non-noble 3d-metals for the reduction of nitro compounds using various reductants. The different systems will be revised considering both the catalytic performances and synthetic aspects highlighting also their advantages and disadvantages. 1 Contents 1. Introduction: setting the scene .................................................................................................................. 4 2. Survey of reducing agents employed in the reduction of nitro compounds .............................................. 9 3. Heterogeneous iron-based catalysts