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Chemoselective Hydrogenation of Nitro Compounds with Supported Gold Catalysts

Avelino Corma* and Pedro Serna

Science 2006, 313, 332-334

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R N

O

O

MLn + H2

LnM H

H

oxidative addition

N

O

OR

MLn-1

migratory insertionNH

O

OR N

O

Relimination

-L

nitrosyl

Ln-1M H

OH

N

O

R

migratory insertionNH

O

R

H

H

MLn-1

H

Ln-1M

H

OH

Ln-1M H

OH

MLn-1

OH

LnM H

H

N

O MLn-1

OHLnMH

H R

H

sigma-metathesisNH2R + O MLn-1

OH

LnM

H

N

O

R

reductive elimination

HO MLn-1

OHMLn

+

reductive elimination+L

MLn + H2O2

Mechanism