Reductive dehalogenation and dehalogenative sulfonation of phenols and heteroaromatics with sodium sulfite in an aqueous medium

Prototropic tautomerism was used as a tool for the reductive dehalogenation of (hetero) aryl bromides and iodides, or dehalogenative sulfonation of (hetero) aryl chlorides and fluorides, using sodium sulfite as the sole reagent in an aqueous medium. This protocol does not require a metal or phase transfer catalyst and avoids using organic solvent as the reaction medium. This method is especially suitable for substrates that readily tautomerize (such as 2-or 4-halogenated aminophenols and 4-halogenated resorcinols), for which dehalogenation or sulfonation proceeds under mild reaction conditions (<= 60 degrees C). As sodium sulfite is an inexpensive, safe, and environmentally less hazardous reagent, this method has at least three potential applications: (i) in the deprotection of halogens as protecting groups, using sodium sulfite as a reducing agent; (ii) in the sulfonation of aromatic halides under mild reaction conditions avoiding hazardous and corrosive reagents/ solvents; and (iii) in the transformation of toxic halogenated aromatics into less harmful compounds.