Active potassium niobates and titanoniobates as catalysts for organic sulfide remediation

•Potassium titano-niobates as active catalysts for organic sulfide remediation•KTixNb(1 − x)O3 activities are the largest among catalysts for this reaction reported.•Reaction parameters were evaluated using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant.•Mild reaction conditions were used to obtain the largest catalytic activity.

Pure (KNbO3) and titanium-substituted (KTi0.1Nb0.9O3 and KTi0.2Nb0.8O3) potassium niobates with perovskite crystalline structures were prepared, characterized and tested as catalysts in the selective oxidation of 2-(methylthio)benzothiazole to its corresponding sulfoxide and sulfone. These catalysts, which have not previously been reported for organic sulfide remediation, are the most active catalysts among those discovered to date for this type of oxidation reaction. Hydrogen peroxide was employed as the oxidant, and the reaction parameters were tested in order to find milder reaction conditions.

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