Kinetic Resolution in Vanadium-Catalyzed Sulfur Oxidation as an Efficient Route to Enantiopure Aryl Benzyl Sulfoxides

Enantiopure aryl benzyl sulfoxides can be prepared ­using vanadium-Schiff base catalyzed sulfide oxidation and kinetic resolution of the resulting sulfoxide. The kinetic resolution can be effected in combination with asymmetric sulfide oxidation or instead starting from the racemic sulfoxide.