Béchamp Reduction

Béchamp reduction [bā′shän ri′dək·shən]

(organic chemistry)

Reduction of nitro groups to amino groups by the use of ferrous salts or iron and dilute acid.

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Béchamp Reduction 

a method of converting nitrocompounds to aminocompounds. The reducing agent is iron shavings; the reaction proceeds in an acidic medium (hydrochloric, or sometimes sulfuric or formic acid, is added). The Béchamp reduction is used for the synthesis of intermediate products in the aniline-dye industry (aniline, to-luidine, and so on) in solutions of electrolytes (such as iron salts or NH₄Cl). The method was proposed by the French scientist A. Béchamp in 1854.