Rapid and convenient conversion of nitroarenes to anilines under microwave conditions using nonprecious metals in mildly acidic medium

Nitroarenes are reduced to the corresponding aniline derivatives using iron or zinc under mild conditions under microwave heating conditions. Mild acidity is provided by ammonium chloride in an aqueous methanol medium. The conditions are tolerant to other functional groups, with the exception of bromoalkyl derivatives, which yield complex reaction mixtures; otherwise, yields are generally quite high (80-99%).