Microwave promoted rapid nitration of phenolic compounds with calcium nitrate

• Published in: Tetrahedron letters Vol. 47; no. 12; pp. 1885 - 1888
• Main Authors: Bose, Ajay K., Ganguly, Subhendu N., Manhas, Maghar S., Rao, Sheetal, Speck, Jeffrey, Pekelny, Uri, Pombo-Villars, Esteban
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: OXFORD Elsevier Ltd 20.03.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: 15N-labeled compounds; Calcium nitrate for nitration; Chemistry; Chemistry, Organic; Green chemistry approach; Microwave-assisted nitration; Mononitro phenol; Physical Sciences; Science & Technology; 15N-labeled compounds; Calcium nitrate for nitration; Microwave-assisted nitration; Green chemistry approach; Mononitro phenol; N-15-labeled compounds; calcium nitrate for nitration; microwave-assisted nitration
• ISSN: 0040-4039; 1873-3581
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.01.094

Nitration of phenolic compounds by a green chemistry strategy was conducted with calcium nitrate/acetic acid under microwave irradiation. Highly accelerated and safe nitration of phenolic compounds has been found to be feasible with a mixture of calcium nitrate and acetic acid as an efficient nitration agent under brief microwave irradiation. This method is compatible with the green chemistry approach because calcium salts—the inorganic byproducts—can be useful agrochemicals rather than waste chemicals. Commercially available 15N-labeled calcium nitrate is convenient for the preparation of 15N-labeled compounds for metabolic studies and mass spectrometry. This safe nitration method can be included in laboratory experiments for high school and college students.