Selective Nitration of Phenolic Compounds by Green Synthetic Approaches

Aromatic nitration is one of the most important unit processes in synthetic organic chemistry and in the chemical industry. Particularly, nitrophenols are important precursors for the production of dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, explosives, plastics, and other industrially important products. Many commercial processes are available for the production of these important nitro precursors, but some processes are commonly lead to mixtures of regioisomers and are not environmentally friendly. Thus, in recent years many scientists have been developed new methodologies to improve selectivity and yield of the products. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the synthesis of nitrophenols by green chemistry approaches.