The first example of direct oxidation of sulfides to sulfones by an osmate molecular oxygen system

Osmate-exchanged Mg-Al layered double hydroxides catalysed the delivery of two oxygen atoms simultaneously via a 3 + 1 cycloaddition to sulfide to form sulfone directly for the first time, reminiscent of 3 + 2 cycloaddition in asymmetric dihydroxylation reactions.