Qifu Deng, Tingting Zhu, Shilin Chen, Lifang Tian, Zixuan Hu, Zhangyi Wang, Hao Zhu, Chao Feng, Yufeng Li
A catalyst-free photoaerobic protocol has been developed for the highly selective oxidation of thioethers in the presence of acetic acid. Based on DFT calculations, the thioether-O 2 complex is identified as the photosensitizer to trigger the radical cascade. This protocol enables the green synthesis of alkyl-aryl, diaryl, and dialkyl sulfoxides, including pharmaceutical molecules.