Selective Oxidation of Organic Sulfides by Mononuclear and Dinuclear Peroxotungsten(VI) Complexes.

A neutral monomeric peroxotungsten complex (I) as well as anionic dinuclear analogues (II) and (III) are found to be stoichiometric reagents for the highly selective oxidation of diorganyl sulfides to sulfoxides or sulfones, depending on the reagent ratio.