Béchamp reduction
| Bechamp reduction | |
|---|---|
| Named after | Antoine Béchamp | 
| Reaction type | Organic redox reaction | 
| Identifiers | |
| RSC ontology ID | RXNO:0000498 | 
The Béchamp reduction (or Béchamp process) is a chemical reaction that converts aromatic nitro compounds to their corresponding anilines using iron as the reductant:
- 4 C6H5NO2 + 9 Fe + 4 H2O → 4 C6H5NH2 + 3 Fe3O4
 
This reaction was once a major route to aniline, but catalytic hydrogenation is the preferred method.