Synthesis of N¹-(3,5-Bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)benzene-1,2-diamine and N,N-Bis(2-nitrophenyl)-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline

A monosubstituted benzene-1,2-diamine building block, N1-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)benzene-1,2-diamine, was prepared in two steps from commercially available 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzylamine and 1-fluoro-2-nitrobenzene, while the use of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline as the starting amine gave a triarylamine, N,N-bis(2-nitrophenyl)-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were fully characterized.