One-pot synthesis of aniline derivatives from nitroarenes under mild conditions promoted by a recyclable polymer-supported palladium catalyst

This work describes the one-pot direct reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with nitroarenes promoted by a polymer supported palladium catalyst, in the presence of molecular hydrogen as the reductant. This methodology is applicable, with slight differences, to both aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. The operational simplicity, the mild reaction conditions, the high yields and the good recyclability of the supported catalyst are major advantages of this method. TEM observations of the catalyst showed that the active species are palladium nanoparticles having a size distribution centered at 5 nm within the polymeric support.

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► A polymer supported Pd(II) complex (Pd-pol) was synthesized and characterized
► Good activity of Pd-pol in the one-pot reductive amination with nitroarenes
► Pd leaching was negligible
► The catalyst could be reused at least eight times with unchanged activity
► The active species were palladium nanoparticles with size of ca. 5 nm.