Hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds to amines on nickel and iron-containing catalysts

Abstract

A special place among the chemical transformations of nitro compounds is the reduction reaction allowing the production of valuable amines. In this review, the focus is on the discussion of nickel and iron-containing catalysts. Nickel is the most common catalyst for the reduction of various substances, including nitro compounds. Along with Raney nickel different nickel-based catalysts are used: nickel black, Ni/Al2O3, Ni/C, Ni/kieselguhr, Ni/SiO2, Ni/ZnO, Ni/MgO, Ni-Cr2O3/C. Today iron-containing catalysts are successfully used in various processes (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, Gaber-Bosch, dehydrogenation, dechlorination of organochlorine compounds) and during last years the papers devoted to the application of Fe-containing catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of nitro compounds have been published. The application of catalytic systems based on Fe and FexOy nanoparticles for implementation of the selective hydrogenation of nitro groups is a promising decision for replacing expensive catalysts prepared of Pt-group metals.