CO-free, aqueous mediated, instant and selective reduction of nitrobenzene robustly stable chalcogen stabilised iron carbonyl clusters (FeE(CO), E = S, Se, Te).

Highly stable and thermally robust iron chalcogenide carbonyl clusters FeE(CO) (E = S, Se or Te) have been explored for the reduction of nitrobenzene. A 15 min thermal heating of an aqueous solution of nitrobenzene and hydrazine hydrate in the catalytic presence of FeE(CO) (E = S, Se or Te) clusters yield average to excellent aniline transformations. Among the S, Se and Te based iron chalcogenised carbonyl clusters, the diselenide cluster was found to be most efficient and produce almost 90% yield of the desired amino product, the disulfide cluster was also found to be significantly active, produce the 85% yield of amino product, while the ditelluride cluster was not found to be active and produced only 49% yield of the desired product.