Selective Reduction of Nitroarenes to Arylamines by the Cooperative Action of Methylhydrazine and a Tris(N‑heterocyclic thioamidate) Cobalt(III) Complex

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.