SELECTIVE REDUCTION OF NITROBENZENE BY SODIUM BOROHYDRIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF POLYAMINE–COBALT COMPLEXES

Abstract The selective reduction of nitrobenzene to azoxybenzene by NaBH4 in the presence of various polyamine–Co complexes was investigated. The polyamine used were ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, and tetraethylenepentamine. The optimum molar ratio of polyamine to Co was 2 or 1. The conversion increased in the following order: tetraethylenepentamine > triethylenetetramine > diethylenetriamine = ethylenediamine.