Activation of superoxide by boron trifluoride: chemoselective and efficient oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides via tetrafluorodiboronperoxide

Activation of superoxide with boron trifluoride in dry acetonitrile can facilitate highly chemoselective and efficient oxidation of sulfides to corresponding sulfoxides at ice-water bath in excellent yields without any interference in the presence of ketone, olefin, ether, and hydroxyl functionalities. This new method also offers further advantages of a short reaction time, no overoxidation to sulfones, and none of complex catalysts and toxic metallic compounds used. A tetrafluorodiboronperoxide intermediate formed in situ from this new process is proposed.