Nickel boride catalyst prepared in situ from NiCl2 and sodium borohydride allowed, in the presence of an aqueous solution of TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose (0.01 wt%), the reduction of a wide range of nitroarenes and aliphatic nitro compounds. Here we describe how the modified nanocellulose has a stabilizing effect on the catalyst that enables low loading of the nickel salt pre-catalyst. Ni-B prepared in situ from a methanolic solution was also used to develop a greener and facile reduction of azides, offering a substantially lowered catalyst loading with respect to reported methods in the literature. Both aromatic and aliphatic azides were reduced and the protocol is compatible with a one-pot Boc-protection of the obtained amine yielding the corresponding carbamates. Finally, bacterial crystalline nanocellulose was chosen as a support for the Ni-B catalyst to allow an easy recovery step of the catalyst and its recyclability for new reduction cycles.
Selective Anodic Oxidation of Solketal as Acetal‐Protected Glycerol over Nickel Boride in Alkaline Media to Glyceric Acid