Process for the preparation of aromatic amines

Claim 1

Process for the preparation of aromatic amines of the formula ##STR3## wherein Ar denotes a mono- or polycyclic aromatic radical with 4 to 16 C atoms which can also contain 1 to 2 hetero atoms from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur, R denotes hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl(optionally substituted by halogen or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy), C 1 -C 4 -alkenyl, C 5 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, C 5 -C 12 -aryl(optionally substituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy), Y denotes nitro in the 2- or 4-position in relation to the amino group --NHR, Z denotes halogen, cyano, optionally halogenated C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, optionally halogenated C 1 -C 4 -alkylmercapto, di-C 1 -C 4 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 4 -alkylsulphonyl, carboxyl or hydroxyl and m denotes 1 or 2 and n denotes zero or 1, which comprises reacting compounds of the formula ##STR4## wherein Y denotes nitro and the remaining symbols have the abovementioned meaning, with organic sulphenamides in aprotic organic solvents or in liquid ammonia in the presence of bases at temperatures of -50° to +100° C., the bases being used in a quantity of 2 to 7 mols per mol of starting compound (II).