Efficient molybdenum catalyzed chemoselective, solvent-free oxidation of sulfides to sulfones at room temperature

Abstract

An effcient and reusable molybdenum-based catalyst has been prepared by tethering dioxomolybdenumacetylacetonate complex, MoO2(acac)2, via postsynthesis modifcation of zeolite beta. The catalyst has been characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The catalyst exhibited very high activity for the selective oxidation of sulfdes to sulfones at room temperature. The catalyst can be recycled and reused four times without signifcant loss of activity.