PhSe(O)OH/Al(NO 3 ) 3 -Catalyzed selectivity controllable oxidation of sulphide owing to the synergistic effect of Se, Al 3+ and nitrate

Selective oxidation of sulphides to produce sulfoxides or sulphones is a key technique in industry. In this paper, we found that the reaction could be catalyzed by a PhSe(O)OH/Al(NO 3 ) 3 system in ethanol under mild conditions using H 2 O 2 as the green oxidant. Interestingly, the reaction selectivity could be controlled by adjusting the employed H 2 O 2 amount, affording a potentially applicable method for large scale productions. The synergistic effect of Se, Al 3+ and nitrate is the key factor for the reaction.