We
report an efficient catalytic protocol that chemoselectively
reduces nitroarenes to arylamines, by using methylhydrazine as a reducing
agent in combination with the easily synthesized and robust catalyst
tris(N-heterocyclic thioamidate) Co(III) complex
[Co(κS,N-tfmp2S)3], tfmp2S = 4-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrimidine-2-thiolate. A series of
arylamines and heterocyclic amines were formed in excellent yields
and chemoselectivity. High conversion yields of nitroarenes into the
corresponding amines were observed by using polar protic solvents,
such as MeOH and
i
PrOH. Among several
hydrogen donors that were examined, methylhydrazine demonstrated the
best performance. Preliminary mechanistic investigations, supported
by UV–vis and NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and high-resolution
mass spectrometry, suggest a cooperative action of methylhydrazine
and [Co(κS,N-tfmp2S)3] via a coordination activation pathway that leads to the formation
of a reduced cobalt species, responsible for the catalytic transformation.
In general, the corresponding N-arylhydroxylamines
were identified as the sole intermediates. Nevertheless, the corresponding
nitrosoarenes can also be formed as intermediates, which, however,
are rapidly transformed into the desired arylamines in the presence
of methylhydrazine through a noncatalytic path. On the basis of the
observed high chemoselectivity and yields, and the fast and clean
reaction processes, the present catalytic system [Co(κS,N-tfmp2S)3]/MeNHNH2 shows promise for the efficient synthesis of aromatic amines that
could find various industrial applications.