Solvent-free chemoselective oxidation of thioethers and thiophenes by mechanical milling

Chem Commun (Camb). 2012 Dec 11;48(95):11632-4. doi: 10.1039/c2cc36365h.

Abstract

Organosulphur compounds can be easily and selectively oxidized to sulfones using a small excess of Oxone(®) (1.6 eq.) under solventless mechanical milling conditions. This green procedure has been efficiently applied to a series of model compounds and to the desulphurization of medium/high sulphur content paraffins (up to 3000 mg kg(-1)).