Role of electron transfer processes in the oxidation of aryl sulfides catalyzed by nonheme iron complexes

The oxidation of a series of aryl 1-methyl-1-phenylethyl sulfides with H2O2 catalyzed by the two tetradentate nonheme-iron complexes [(PDP)FeII(SbF6)2] and [(BPMCN)FeII(OTf )2] occurs by an electron transfer-oxygen transfer (ET/OT) mechanism as supported by the observation of products deriving from fragmentation of the corresponding radical cations in association with S-oxidation products (sulfoxides).