A Clean, Mild, and Selective Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfoxides Using NaClO/H₂SO₄ in Aqueous Media

Abstract

A range of sulfides can be selectively oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides in good yields using NaClO/H₂SO₄ in both water and 50:50 water:EtOH as solvent. Two new compounds are reported that show a diastereoselective oxidation in 2-phenylthioalcohols with possible neighboring hydroxyl group participation with a logic proposed mechanism.

Keywords:

• Green chemistry
• oxidation
• sodium hypochlorite
• sulfide
• sulfoxide

We thank the Department of Chemistry of Semnan University for supporting this work.