Transition-metal-free highly efficient aerobic oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides under mild conditions
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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Experimental Column Setup for Studying Anaerobic Biogeochemical Interactions Between Iron (Oxy)Hydroxides, Trace Elements, and Bacteria
Published on: December 19, 2017
Hua Zhang1, Chunyu Chen, Renhua Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, No.158-139, Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116012, China. huazhang@chem.dlut.edu.cn
Abstract:
A highly efficient transition-metal-free catalytic system Br2/NaNO2/H2O has been developed for a robust and economic acid-free aerobic oxidation of sulfides. It is noteworthy that the sulfide function reacts under mild conditions without over-oxidation to sulfone. The role of NaNO2as an efficient NO equivalent for the activation of molecular oxygen was identified. Under the optimal conditions, a broad range of sulfide substrates were converted into their corresponding sulfoxides in high yields by molecular oxygen. The present catalytic system utilizes cheap and readily available agents as the catalysts, exhibits high selectivity for sulfoxide products and releases only innocuous water as the by-products.
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