AN EFFICIENT REDUCTION OF NITROARENES INTO ARYLAMINES BY Sb/NH4Br

A selective, simple and cost-effective method for the reduction of nitroarenes by antimony metal powder in the presence of ammonium bromide in methanol to give arylamines in high yields is reported. The reaction goes to completion within 20-40 min at 65 °C. The progress of the reaction was monitored by TLC and the products were purified by silica gel column chromatography. The products were characterized by IR spectral analysis.