Chemoselective reduction of nitrobenzenes to aminobenzenes having reducible groups by a titanium(iv) oxide photocatalyst under gas- and metal-free conditions

m-Nitrovinylbenzene was chemoselectively reduced to m-aminovinylbenzene in a suspension of a TiO(2) photocatalyst in the presence of a hole scavenger at room temperature under atmospheric pressure without the use of a precious metal or reducing gas, and nitrobenzenes having other reducible groups were also chemoselectively reduced to corresponding aminobenzenes.