STUDIES ON THE SELECTIVE REDUCTION OF NITROARENES MEDIATED BY INSOLUBLE RESINS WITH VIOLOGEN STRUCTURE AS ELECTRON-TRANSFER CATALYSTS

Selective reduction of nitroarenes to give the corresponding anilines was carried out conveniently with sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) by using insoluble resins with a viologen structure as electron-transfer catal yst (ETC) under heterophase condition. An EPR method confirmed that a viologen radical, the one-electron reduction product (V+), acted as th e catalytic active species during the reduction of nitroarenes. A reac tion scheme involving an aniline radical has been proposed. (C) 1997 E lsevier Science Ltd.