Molybdenum-based metal–organic frameworks as highly efficient and stable catalysts for fast oxidative desulfurization of fuel oil

Heterogeneous catalysts are usually constructed by immobilizing active species on appropriate supports. However, the dispersibility is difficult to precisely control. In this work, three representative Mo-based MOFs (Mo-MOFs) were constructed by assembling various organic linkers and MoO3, where the Mo atoms are homogeneously dispersed due to the coordination. The results illustrated that the obtained Mo-MOF-PI synthesized with 2-propyl imidazole as the ligands exhibited an extremely fast reaction rate, achieving 99.4% sulfur removal of DBT within only 12 min. Compared to other similar catalysts, Mo-MOF-PI showed much higher catalytic activity with a turnover frequency value of 19.2 h−1. Moreover, it can be reused at least 20 times without a dramatic reduction in catalytic performance. Thus, the as-prepared Mo-MOF catalysts show great potential in large-scale industrial applications.