Ozonide reducing agent

A method of reducing an ozonide, comprising:

• adding an ozonide reducing agent to an ozonide-containing solvent in an amount sufficient to reductively decompose the ozonide, said ozonide reducing agent being one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the formula
• X--R.sup.1 --R.sup.2 --S--R.sup.3 --R.sup.4 --Y (1)
• wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 are the same or different and each represents a single bond or a straight- or branched-chain C.sub.1-6 alkylene group;
• R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are the same or different and each is a straight- or branched-chain C.sub.1-6 alkylene group, a straight- or branched-chain C.sub.2-8 alkenylene group, a straight- or branched-chain C.sub.2-6 alkynylene group, a C.sub.3-8 cycloaklylene group or a phenylene group which may have a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group and/or an amino group as a substituent on the phenyl ring;
• X and Y are the same or different and each represents a hydroxyl group, a nitrile group or a carboxyl group;
• and a compound represented by the formula
• R.sup.5 --S--R.sup.6 ( 2)
• wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are the same or different and each represents thienyl, furyl, pyridyl, pyranyl, pyrrolyl, chromenyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, pyrazinol, pyrimidyl, pyridazinyl, or quinolyl, having as a substituent at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group, a hydroxymethyl group, a nitrile group, a cyanomethyl group, a carboxyl group and a carboxymethyl group;
• reductively decomposing the ozonide with said ozonide reducing agent;
• and
• removing the sulfoxide resulting from the ozonolysis reaction of said ozonide with said ozonide reducing agent.