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DOI: 10.1055/a-2577-7703
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Selective Catalytic Aerobic Photooxidation of Thioethers to Sulfoxides

Wan-Sheng Ji 
a   Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
b   Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
,
Xiao-Long Li
a   Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
,
Qiu-Shan Huang
a   Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
,
Jin-Bu Xu
a   Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
,
Xiaohuan Li∗
a   Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
,
Feng Gao∗
a   Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
b   Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No. 111, North 1st Section, 2nd Ring Road, Chengdu 610031, Sichuan, P. R. of China
› Author Affiliations
This research was financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22277101) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (2682024KJ015 and 2682023ZTPY078).
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Abstract

A convenient visible-light-promoted oxidation of thioethers to sulfoxides is developed utilizing eosin Y as the photocatalyst and molecular oxygen from air as the oxidant. This photochemical protocol features good functional group tolerance and excellent chemoselectivity. Under the developed mild conditions, a wide variety of sulfides are converted into the corresponding sulfoxides in excellent yields (up to 93%). Moreover, this protocol can easily be amplified to gram scale, showing good practical value.

Key words

photocatalysis - oxidation - eosin Y - sulfoxides - thioethers

Supporting Information

    Supporting information for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2577-7703.
  • Supporting Information


Publication History

Received: 23 February 2025

Accepted after revision: 08 April 2025

Accepted Manuscript online:
08 April 2025

Article published online:
22 May 2025

© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
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