Sustainable synthesis of fine chemicals and polymers using industrial chlorine chemistry

To achieve sustainable resource circulation, preparation of reactive species from stable compounds is unavoidable. Chlorine chemistry is an eco-friendly methodology to address this demand. Chlorine is industrially produced from sodium chloride (NaCl), an abundant natural resource in oceans. Chlorine provides various chemical products, including polymers, through chlorination and subsequent conversion reactions. In these reactions, the byproducts are usually hydrogen chloride, which is commercially utilized as hydrochloric acid and is finally neutralized to NaCl after use. Therefore, chlorine chemistry enables fine chemical production from NaCl with almost no wastage. This review provides an overview of the synthesis of fine chemicals and polymers using chlorine chemistry and discusses them from the perspective of sustainability.