Switchable Synthesis of Aryl Sulfones and Sulfoxides through Solvent-Promoted Oxidation of Sulfides with O2/Air.

A practical and switchable method for the synthesis of aryl sulfones and sulfoxides via sulfide oxidation was developed. The chemoselectivities of products were simply controlled by reaction temperature using O2/air as the terminal oxidant and oxygen source. The broad substrate scope, easy realization of gram-scale production, and the simplification of a sulfide oxidation system render the strategy attractive and valuable.