Selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and sulfones using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the presence of zirconium tetrachloride

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the presence of zirconium tetrachloride is a very efficient reagent for the oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and sulfones in methanol at room temperature. It is noteworthy that under such conditions, the sulfide function is highly reactive, and various other functional groups such as alkenes and a ketone are tolerated.