Sodium Hydrosulfite, Sodium Dithionite
Sodium hydrosulfite (sodium dithionite, Na2S2O4) is an inexpensive and safe reducing agent, which for example enables the reduction of aromatic nitro and diazonium compounds to anilines.
Recent Literature
The hydrogenation of α,β-epoxy ketones can be mediated by a catalytic
amount of BNA+Br- using Na2S2O4
as primary reducing agent to form the corresponding β-hydroxy ketones in
high yield. A radical mechanism has been proposed.
H.-J. Xu, Y.-C. Liu, Y. Fu, Y.-D. Wu, Org. Lett.,
2006,
8, 3449-3451.
The of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles allowed the construction of
magnetically recoverable organic hydride compounds. Magnetic
nanoparticle-supported BNAH (1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide) showed efficient
activity in the catalytic reduction of α,β-epoxy ketones. After reaction, the
catalyst can be separated by simple magnetic separation and can be reused.
H.-J. Xu, X. Wan, Y.-Y. Shen, S. Xu, Y.-S. Feng, Org. Lett., 2012,
14, 1210-1213.
A highly efficient and versatile method for the synthesis of a series of 2-substituted
N-H, N-alkyl, and N-aryl benzimidazoles containing a wide range of functional groups
was achieved in one step via the Na2S2O4
reduction of o-nitroanilines in the presence of aldehydes.
D. Yang, D. Fokas, J. Li, L. Yu, C. M. Baldino, Synthesis,
2005, 47-56.
In a simple one-pot procedure for the preparation of 2-(het)arylquinazolin-4(3H)-ones
from readily available 2-nitrobenzamides and aryl aldehydes, sodium dithionite
is used as the reducing agent for the nitro group. Sodium dithionite also
decomposes in aqueous N,N-dimethylformamide under air to form sulfur
dioxide, which is the oxidant in the final oxidation step that leads to the
desired heterocyclic compounds.
A. H. Romero, J. Salazar, S. E. López, Synthesis, 2013, 45,
2043-2050.
Various azobenzenes have been reduced to the corresponding hydrazines by using
an aqueous solution of sodium dithionite. The yield is generally excellent, but
two compounds, viz. 4,4-dimethoxyazobenzene and
2,2,4,4,6,6-hexamethylazobenzene, gave no hydrazine at all.
L. K. Sydnes, S. Elmi, P. Heggen, B. Holmelid, D. Malthe-Sřrensen, Synlett, 2007,
1695-1696.
