Selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides catalyzed by ruthenium (III) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin chloride in the presence of molecular oxygen.

Highly efficient selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides by molecular oxygen catalyzed by ruthenium (III) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin chloride (Ru(TPP)Cl) with isobutyraldehyde as oxygen acceptor has been reported. In large-scale experiment of thioanisole oxidation, the isolated yield of sulfoxide of 92% was obtained and the turnover number reached up to 92,000.