How are sulfides oxidized into sulfoxides and sulfones?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Organic substances that contain sulfur — organosulfur compound Examples of organosulfur compounds.

The oxidation of sulfides is a straightforward chemical process that proceeds in stages depending on the reaction conditions:

Formation of Sulfoxides: The initial oxidation of a sulfide yields a sulfoxide.
Formation of Sulfones: Under more vigorous conditions, the oxidation can proceed further to produce a sulfone.1

While these are the primary pathways for oxidation, it is worth noting that sulfides can also undergo one-electron oxidation to form radical cations, which are significant in the study of conducting materials.1