Environmentally friendly solvent-free processes: Preparation of nitroalcohols, a class of valuable drug intermediates, by Henry reaction

Our environmentally benign synthesis of nitro alcohols involves a simple solvent-free condensation of an appropriate aldehyde with 1-nitro alkane utilizing a novel dual catalytic system consisting of a mineral base and an appropriate surfactant under homogeneous conditions. This green technology is currently successfully applied to other areas of chemistry e.g. benzoin condensation reactions, ether cleavage and hydrolysis and synthesis of esters. By proper choice of the catalyst, base and/or reaction conditions the reaction can be performed to a level of >90% conversion as well as selectivity.