Nitric Acid → 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine

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Reaction Steps

That is, amino groups in benzidine are first protected by N-acetylation with acetic anhydride, and the resulting acetylated compound is then converted into 3,3′-dinitro-N,N′-diacetylbenzidine by nitration. For example, this nitration is performed with concentrated nitric acid in a mixture of acetic anhydride and acetic acid. 3,3′-Dinitro-N,N′-diacetylbenzidine is treated with a base to remove the acetyl groups and then treated with tin (II) chloride in hydrochloric acid to reduce the nitro groups to yield 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobiphenyl (Scheme 1).

Provenance & Evidence