The Divalent State Hydrogen Peroxide

On leaving, the chloride ions pluck off protons from the cationic sulfurs, as shown below. Another round of the same process then leads to the 85 product. 

With an oxidation state intermediate between those of water and O2, hydrogen peroxide exhibits a wide range of reactivity. Although it is best known as an oxidant, it reduces stronger oxidants than itself while itself becoming oxidized to O2. It can act as both a nucleophile and an electrophile. 

Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes sulfite to sulfate and organic sulfides to sulfoxides  

The mechanism in each case is likely to involve a nucleophilic attack by sulfur on one of the peroxide oxygens, as shown below for Ph8Me  

In acidic solution, hydrogen peroxide is a powerM oxidizing agent (see Table 1.5, Section 1.5). The oxidation of iodide to iodine by acidified hydrogen peroxide is a good example for our purpose  

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