Scalable electrochemical reduction of sulfoxides to sulfides

Abstract

A scalable reduction of sulfoxides to sulfides in a sustainable way remains an unmet challenge. This report discloses an electrochemical reduction of sulfoxides on a large scale (>10 g) under mild reaction conditions. Sulfoxides are activated using a substoichiometric amount of the Lewis acid AlCl₃, which could be regenerated via a combination of inexpensive aluminum anode with chloride anion. This deoxygenation process features a broad substrate scope, including acid-labile substrates and drug molecules.