Rapid degradation of sulfur-containing pollutants in water using potassium oximate through nucleophilic transformation with kinetic, mechanistic and antimicrobial evaluation

Sulfur-containing organic pollutants persist in industrial wastewater, particularly in petroleum refining effluents, where their chemical stability limits conventional treatment. Here, we report a rapid and efficient degradation strategy based on potassium 2,3-butanedione mono-oximate (KBDO), using 2-Chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) as a representative thioether model. Under mild aqueous conditions (room temperature, atmospheric pressure, aqueous medium, and pH 10), KBDO enables fast and selective transformation of CEES, achieving up to 97% removal in real petroleum wastewater. Kinetic analysis reveals pseudo-first-order behavior with a high-rate constant (k = 0.495 min⁻¹) and a short half-life (1.4 min), indicating exceptionally rapid reaction dynamics. Product analysis by GC–MS identifies multiple transformation products consistent with an oximate-driven nucleophilic substitution pathway followed by fragmentation and cyclization. Notably, the system also exhibits antimicrobial activity across a range of microbial strains, demonstrating dual functionality. Unlike conventional oxidation-based treatments, this approach operates without catalysts or external energy input, offering a simple and environmentally benign alternative. These findings establish KBDO as a promising platform for fast, scalable, and multifunctional remediation of sulfur-containing pollutants in complex water systems.