Selective,metal-free oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides Using 30% hydrogen peroxide catalyzed with <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-bromosuccinimide (NBS) under neutral buffered reaction conditions

Various types of aromatic and aliphatic sulfides are selectively oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides in good to excellent yields using 30% H₂O₂ in the presence of catalytic amounts of N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in buffered aqueous acetonitrile solution (pH =7.00). The results showed that acid sensitive functional groups such as double bonds, and O,O-acetals remained intact under the described reaction conditions