Speaker:
Dr. John W. Larson
Department of Chemistry
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Date:
Monday, January 29, 1996, 3:30 p.m.
Ben Bandy Conference Room
Center for Applied Energy Research
Abstract
Nitroaromatics are smoothly reduced to anilines by hydroxylamine in a carboncatalyzed reaction. The nitro group reduction begins with a 4 electrontransfer. The hydrazine is a 2 electron donor going to diimide whichdisproportionates. Carbon makes this reaction possible by serving as anadsorbant and an electrical conductor. Carbon also catalyzes the decompositionof hydrazine to ammonia and dinitrogen. In an analogous process, thedecomposition of hydroxylamine is also catalyzed, the initial products beingwater, ammonia, and HNO.