Tuning the morphology to enhance the catalytic activity of α-Ag₂WO₄ through V-doping

Here, we present the synthesis of a highly efficient V-doped α-Ag₂WO₄ catalyst for the oxidation of sulfides to sulfones, exhibiting a high degree of tolerance towards various sensitive functional groups. Remarkably, the catalysts with 0.01% V-doping content exhibited outstanding selectivity towards the oxidation process. Scavenger experiments indicated the direct involvement of electron-hole (e^-/h⁺) pairs, hydroxyl radical (˙OH), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in the catalytic mechanism. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, the higher activity of the V-doped α-Ag₂WO₄ samples was associated with the preferential formation of the (100) surface in the catalyst morphology.