Borax‐Catalyzed and pH‐Controlled Selective Oxidation of Organic Sulfides by H₂O₂: An Environmentally Clean Protocol

Abstract

Abstract The selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and sulfones was achieved in high yields at room temperature with borax as a recyclable catalyst and H 2 O 2 as the terminal oxidant by varying the pH of the reaction medium. The borax/H 2 O 2 system can chemoselectively oxidize alkyl and aryl sulfides in the presence of oxidation‐prone functional groups such as C=C, –CN, and –OH.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)