Electrochemical oxidations of thioethers: Modulation of oxidation potential using a hydrogen bonding network

A highly efficient chemo-selective electrochemical oxidation of thioethers to sulfoxides and sulfones was developed. The hydrogen bonding network generated from hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and acetic acid (AcOH) plays an important role in the modulation of oxidation potential. The hydrogen bonding network complexes strongly with the sulfoxide, making it less prone to further oxidation. Therefore, thioethers can be selectively electrochemically oxidized to sulfoxides and over-oxidization could be minimized. Moreover, this modulation of oxidization via hydrogen bonding was supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and cyclic voltammetry experiments.