Solvent effects in the oxidation of sulfides with NaBrO3/Mg(HSO4)(2)

The oxidation of alkyl and aryl sulfides into the corresponding sulfoxides by NaBrO3/Mg(HSO4)(2) is studied. The selectivity of the reactions are highly governed by the choice of solvents and reaction conditions. Both alkyl and aryl sulfides are efficiently oxidized in CH3CN and under solvent-free conditions, but in competition reactions with alkyl and aryl sulfides in CH3CN only alkyl sulfides are oxidized. In n-hexane alkyl sulfides are oxidized to sulfoxides and oxidation of aryl sulfides completely inhibited.