Ammonium Chloride → Methyl 3-Amino-5-bromo-2-methylbenzoate

To a stirred solution of methyl 5-bromo-2-methyl-3-nitrobenzoate (7.60 g, 27.7 mmol) in aq. EtOH (100 mL of EtOH and 20 mL of H2O) was added ammonium chloride (4.45 g, 83.1 mmol) and iron (4.64 g, 83.1 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at 80° C. for 5 hours. Then the mixture was filtered through Celite and the Celite bed was washed with ethyl acetate. The combined filtrate was concentrated in vacuo. The resultant residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate and water. The aqueous layer was extracted with ethyl acetate (twice). The combined organic layer dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure to afford the titled compound as a brown oil (6.67 g, 99%). 1H-NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ ppm; 7.37 (s, 1H), 6.92 (s, 1H), 3.94 (s, 3H), 3.80 (brs, 2H), 2.31 (s, 3H).