Enantioselective oxidation of sulfides with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by vanadium complex of sterically hindered chiral Schiff bases

Sterically hindered chiral Schiff base ligands 4a–d were prepared from an aldehyde derived from BINOL. The vanadium complexes of the ligands catalyze an efficient, enantioselective H2O2-promoted sulfoxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides, and enantioselectivities as high as 98–99% ee are observed in the sulfoxidation of benzyl aryl sulfides.