A catalyst-free photoaerobic protocol has been developed for the highly selective oxidation of thioethers in the presence of acetic acid. Based on DFT calculations, the thioether-O2 complex is identified as the photosensitizer to trigger the radical cascade. This protocol enables the green synthesis of alkyl-aryl, diaryl, and dialkyl sulfoxides, including pharmaceutical molecules.
Deng et al. (2026) studied this question.