Fast and highly efficient solid state oxidation of thiols.

A fast and efficient solid state method for the chemoselective room temperature oxidative coupling of thiols to afford their corresponding disulfides using inexpensive and readily available moist sodium periodate as the reagent is described. The reaction was applicable to a variety of thiols giving high yields after short reaction times. Comparison of yield/time ratios of this method with some of those reported in the literature shows the superiority of this reagent over others under these conditions.