Nitro-compounds were reduced to amines in high yields by using palladium, platinum, or rhodium metal catalyst with formic, phosphinic, or phosphorous acid. With formic acid, nitro-compounds containing fluorine were reduced but not those containing chlorine, bromine, or iodine. With the other acids, nitro-compounds containing any of the halogens were reduced with retention of the halogen.
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Entwistle et al. (1977) studied this question.