Aromatic amines such as phenylamine are prepared by reducing nitrobenzene. This is done by heating nitrobenzene under reflux with tin and concentrated hydrochloric acid to form the ammonium salt, phenylammonium chloride, which is then converted to phenylamine by a reaction with excess sodium hydroxide.

The equation for the preparation of phenylamine from nitrobenzene is:

Halogenoalkanes are heated under pressure in a solution of excess concentrated ammonia in ethanol to form amines. A nucleophilic substitution reaction takes place.

For example, ethylamine is produced from the reaction of chloroethane and ammonia:

C₂H₅Cl + 2NH₃ ➔ C₂H₅NH₂ + NH₄Cl