Facile nitration of aromatic compounds using Bi(NO3)3·5H2O/MgSO4 under mechanochemical conditions

Abstract

Abstract Bi(NO3)3·5H2O/MgSO4 was developed as an efficient and green reagent for the nitration of aromatic compounds under mechanochemistry (or ball milling) condition. While aromatics with weak activating groups such as phenyl could be nitrated by this reagent with 100% conversion, aromatics with weak deactivating groups such as chloro- or bromo- could also be nitrated but with moderate conversion and regioselectivity with big para/ortho ratios. The in situ generated N2O4 or NO2 due to the decomposition of Bi(NO3)3·5H2O promoted by MgSO4 should be responsible for this mechanochemical nitration.