Facile Synthesis of Azo Compounds from Aromatic Nitro Compounds using Magnesium and Triethylammonium Formate

Magnesium/triethylammonium formate is a convenient reagent for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds to corresponding symmetrically substituted azo compounds. Various azo compounds containing additional reducible substituents, including halogen, nitrile, acid, phenol, ester, and methoxy functions, have been synthesized in a single step by the use of this reagent. The conversion is reasonably fast, clean, high yielding, and occurs at room temperature in methanol.