Selective Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfoxides and Sulfones Using n -Butyltriphenylphosphonium Dichromate (Bu n PPh 3 ) 2 Cr 2 O 7 in the Presence of Aluminium Chloride in Solution and Under Microwave Irradiation.

A wide variety of sulfides are efficiently oxidized to their corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones in excellent yields using n-butyltriphenylphosphonium dichromate (BTPPDC) in the presence of aluminium chloride in acetonitrile solution and under microwave irradiation. In addition, selective oxidation of sulfides in the presence of functional groups such as a carbon–carbon double bond, ketone, oxime, aldehyde, ether, and acetal can be considered as a noteworthy advantage of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]