The term also is applied incorrectly to the different process of forming nitrate esters (−ONO2) between alcohols and nitric acid (as occurs in the synthesis of nitroglycerin).
There are many major industrial applications of nitration in the strict sense; the most important by volume are for the production of nitroaromatic compounds such as nitrobenzene.
Nitrations are, however, of wide importance virtually all aromatic amines (anilines) are produced from nitro precursors.
This active ingredient, which can be isolated in the case of nitronium tetrafluoroborate,[5] also effects nitration without the need for the mixed acid.
For example, nitration of nitrobenzene gives all three isomers of dinitrobenzenes in a ratio of 93:6:1 (respectively meta, ortho, para).
In the second half of the 20th century, new reagents were developed for laboratory usage, mainly N-nitro heterocyclic compounds.
[18] In one protocol, 4-chloro-n-butylbenzene is reacted with sodium nitrite in t-butanol in the presence of 0.5 mol% Pd2(dba)3, a biarylphosphine ligand and a phase-transfer catalyst to provide 4-nitro-n-butylbenzene.