Sustainable Synthesis of Fine Chemicals from Aliphatic Nitro Compounds

Abstract

Abstract The demands of modern society for new functional chemical entities have driven the development of novel methods that are revolutionizing the way we think, plan, and optimize chemical processes. Chemical industries, in general, use a large volume of organic solvents and catalysts in their manufacturing processes. However, the toxic and volatile nature of many organic solvents have posed serious threats to the environment. Hence, industries are finding it very difficult to meet the standards set by pollution regulatory boards while using traditional methods. Thus, redesign of chemical processes for reducing or avoiding hazardous organic solvents and toxic catalysts is highly desirable. In 1998, Anastas and Warner teamed up to write the best‐selling and most cited book in the field of Green Chemistry, “ Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice ”, which explicated the 12 principles of Green Chemistry. The application of many of these principles could be strongly favored by the right choice of the starting material in a synthetic process, in particular those such as nitroalkanes that show high chemical versatility. This article deals with this issue and highlights some representative examples on the application of nitroalkanes as key starting molecules for the sustainable synthesis of fine chemicals via (i) one‐pot synthetic processes, (ii) reactions in aqueous medium, and (iii) solvent‐free reactions (SolFR).