Background: Eugenol, the main constituent of clove oil possesses a number of medicinal activities. To enhance the medicinal property, structural modification is required. On the other hand, bismuth nitrate pentahydrate has been established as an excellent eco-friendly nitrating agent for several classes of organic compounds.
Results: Bismuth nitrate pentahydrate-induced nitration of eugenol has been investigated very thoroughly. Twenty five different conditions have been studied. The microwave-induced solvent-free reaction has been identified as the best condition.
Conclusions: Spectral analyses confirm that 5-nitroeugenol is the sole product in all the cases. No oxidized or isomerized product could be detected.