Effect of a proximal substituent on the triruthenium dodecacarbonyl-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes

Three nitroarenes were submitted to Ru₃(CO)₁₂-catalyzed reductive carbonylation in acetonitrile and in cis-cyclooctene. The main reaction products were the corresponding amines, ureas and six- or five-membered cyclization products. Optimization of the reaction varying the temperature, the CO pressure, the catalyst/substrate ratio and the reaction time and a statistical analysis of conversion and selectivity data allow to suggest a reaction mechanism in some reaction conditions.