Denitrative Hydroxylation of Unactivated Nitroarenes**
Lee Duff, Harry Meakin, Adam Richardson, Andrew Greener, G. Smith, Ivan Ocaña, Victor Chechik, Michael J. James
Abstract
Abstract A one‐step method for the conversion of nitroarenes into phenols under operationally simple, transition‐metal‐free conditions is described. This denitrative functionalization protocol provides a concise and economical alternative to conventional three‐step synthetic sequences. Experimental and computational studies suggest that nitroarenes may be substituted by an electron‐catalysed radical‐nucleophilic substitution (S RN 1) chain mechanism.
Topics & Concepts
HydroxylationNucleophileCombinatorial chemistryChemistryPhenolsSurface modificationNucleophilic substitutionOrganic chemistryComputational chemistryCatalysisEnzymePhysical chemistryRadical Photochemical ReactionsCatalytic C–H Functionalization MethodsChemical Synthesis and Reactions