The selective oxidation of organic sulfides to sulfoxides by oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes in acetonitrile is overall second-order, first-order each in the oxidant and the substrate. The rate constant, k(2), values of several para-substituted phenyl methyl sulfides correlate linearly with Hammett sigma constants and the rho values are in the range of -1.3 to -2.7 with different substituted oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes. The reactivity of different alkyl sulfides is in accordance with Taft's steric substituent constant, E(S). A mechanism involving direct oxygen atom transfer from the oxidant to the substrate rather than electron transfer is envisaged. Correlation analyses show the presence of an inverse relationship between reactivity and selectivity in the reaction of various sulfides with a given oxo(salen)chromium(V) complex and vice versa. Mathematical treatment of the results shows that this redox system falls under strong reactivity-selectivity principle (RSP).

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The kinetics of (salen)MnIII complexes catalysed oxidation of aryl methyl and alkyl phenyl sulphides with hydrogen peroxide have been investigated at 25°C in 80% acetonitrile – 20% water spectrophotometrically. The reaction follows first‐order kinetics in (salen)MnIII complex and zero‐order kinetics in hydrogen peroxide. The order of the reaction with respect to sulphide is fractional and saturation in reaction rate occurs at higher sulphide concentrations. The pseudo first‐order rate constants have been analysed as per Michaelis–Menten kinetics to obtain the values of k2, the oxidant‐substrate complex decomposition rate constant, and K, the oxidant‐substrate complex formation constant. The effects of nitrogenous bases, free radical inhibitor and changes in solvent composition have also been studied. A suitable mechanism, supported by electronic‐oxidant and electronic‐substrate effect studies, involving a manganese(III)‐hydroperoxide complex as reactive species has been proposed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.