A Review of Nitration of Anilines: Toward More Sustainable Approaches

Nitroanilines are versatile building blocks for the synthesis of miscellaneous compounds such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, perfumes and many other targets. To answer the chemical limitations of the well‐developed “mixed acids” conditions (such as harsh conditions, poor regioselectivity, and poor functional group tolerance), several alternatives nitration conditions have been developed specifically for aniline derivatives. In this review, we offer an overview of the miscellaneous existing methodologies to provide nitroanilines through aromatic nitration of pre‐functionalized anilines. The development of more sustainable approaches using enabling technologies is also presented and their sustainability is discussed through a comparative study of E‐factors.