I've been looking into this reduction method using gallium instead of mercury to remove the passivation layer on the aluminium. This would be a more environmentally friendly and less toxic reduction method.

I can't find a lot of information about it except speculation (often incorrect).

There's been several threads here and on SM, with one experiment procedure being written up. It involved forming the amalgam in water (??lol) which obviously wouldn't work.

I'm just wondering if someone knew of the patent mentioned in one of the threads involving reduction of NO2 to NH2. I can't find it anywhere. I'm going ot take a look at references down at the university, but I might not find anything.

If anyone has had success with this reduction, let us know.

If I was to do a stoichiometric calculation for this reduction, would I simply use the reductive potential of standard Al -> Al3+ 3e for the calculated quantity of Al in the alloy, and factor that into the nitropropene -> amine reduction equation?

Below is a pic for the melting points of various gallium/Al alloys. 20/80 Gal/Al has a melting point around 200C, very achievable with a hotplate and crucible. Alloy is simply prepared by rendering Ga molten and then feeding in aluminium foil to the desired %. After usage, alloy is reduced into molten Ga and Al oxides, so the Ga can be easily recycled.

Alloy is simply prepared by rendering Ga molten and then feeding in aluminium foil

Dont use foil, for Al/Ga alloy use powdered Al, much purer und much faster reacted. Also you can simply knead the Al-powder in your gallium, and then it can easily be stored till you need it, a member said it in another thread here about Al/Ga, and ive tried it out few months ago, its still fresh and doesnt makes any fizzing noise, yes Ive listened at my bottle if my Al/Ga makes a noise .  Be careful, gallium sticks to glasware and unlike mercury, it will make grey stains on it and other stuff.
Read on here:
http://127.0.0.1/talk/index.php/topic,560.0.html

But im unsure if im going to use it as working with mercury is so much more convenient, so consider this as well. I mean even working with cyanides is really easy to handle, at least you have enough time with mercury to get to the doctor for complex- or chelate-forming agents, thats probably not the case with cyanide poisoning.
Check the thread about mercury waste utilisation, its also a good read:http://127.0.0.1/talk/index.php/topic,3196.0.html