Based on MCM nanomaterials: Recoverable metallic nanocatalysts in oxidation of sulfides and oxidative coupling of thiols

Abstract

Research on sulfoxides (compounds containing S=O bond) and disulfides (compounds containing S-S bond) is an important and fundamental challenge for chemists, because these compounds are privileged in the structure of drugs and pharmaceutical molecules. Therefore, synthesis of sulfoxides and disulfides has become an attractive target for synthetic organic chemists. In recent years, nanomaterials have been proposed as ideal support for catalysts. Amongst nanomaterials, mesoporous silica MCM-41 and MCM-48 was introduced as an ideal nanomaterial for immobilization of metal complexes. In recent years, the immobilization of metal complexes on the surface of MCM nanomaterials has been widely utilized as an efficient catalytic strategy for oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides and oxidative coupling of thiols to disulfides. In this review, we focused on the catalytic application of metal-MCM nanomaterials for these oxidation reactions.