A variety of organosulfur compounds have been selectively oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides by either H2O2 or HNO3 using a newly developed solid acid catalyst composed of 84.5% of TiO2 and 15.5% of [Ti4H11(PO4)(9)]center dot nH(2)O (n = 1-4). The chemoselective oxidation of sulfides in the presence of vulnerable groups such as -CN, -C = C-, -CHO, or -OH, as well as sulfoxidation of substrates like benzothiazole, glycosyl Sulfide, and dibenzothiophenes is some of the important attribute-cif the protocol. Nitric acid, under the present experimental conditions, brings about relatively better selectivity than hydrogen peroxide. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.