Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation Studies on Arylhydrazones

The catalytic transfer hydrogenation studies on several arylhydrazones, prepared by coupling aryldiazonium salts with diethylmalonate and acetyl acetone have been carried out. It has been found that even under a variety of reaction conditions the reduction of diethyl mesoxalate-2-onitrophenylhydrazone or pentane-2,3,4- trioxo-3-o-nitrophenylhydrazone in anhydrous formic acid as a solvent and as a hydrogren donor with 10 per cent pd-C as a catalyst produces the N-formyl derivative of the free amino compound.