Rongalite: A Useful Green Reagent in Organic Synthesis

The various syntheticmethods discussed in this review reveal that rongalite is a powerful reagent for organic synthesis. It is inexpensive and commercially available and can be handled without any special precautions to mediate a wide of variety of synthetic transformations. It serves as a readily available source of SO 2 2- anions and facilitates the preparation of sulfone and sultine derivatives which are useful starting materials in diversity-oriented synthesis. Sultines are used immensely toward the preparation of tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ) and N,N0-dicyanoquinonediimines (DCNQIs), which are further used to construct materials with high electrical conductivity. The SET reactions promoted by rongalite have been immensely used for the synthesis of sulfide/selenide derivatives and fluorine-containing compounds. In combination with tellurium, it provides excellent reactivity which can be explored in reduction reactions. A tactical utilization of rongalite in synthetic plans may replace tedious organic transformations with simpler routes.We hope that this review may act as a catalyst in boosting the applications of rongalite in organic synthesis. © 2011 American Chemical Society.