Amines, particularly primary amines, are a class of important compounds, which are frequently used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes as well as a variety of fine and specialty chemicals. The reduction of nitro compounds is an indispensable route for the production of primary amines, especially aniline and its derivatives. In this context, the catalytic hydrogenation represents the most efficient, atomic economical and environmentally friendly method. In general, the reaction mainly relies on heterogeneous catalysts. And most of the recent reports focus on the development and modification of heterogeneous catalysts. Homogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitro compounds are scarcely explored. Given the structure of homogeneous metal catalysts can be readily modified and adjusted by the application of different central metal and ligand to regulate the catalytic process, the high efficient and selective reduction can be realized by choosing the appropriate combination of metals and ligands. The development and recent progress of homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of nitro compounds are systematically summarized, the challenges faced in this field are discussed and a perspective on this topic is made.

Key words: homogeneous catalysis, hydrogenation, nitro compound, amine, chemoselectivity