Ultrasonic desulfurization of amphiphilic magnetic-Janus nanosheets in oil-water mixture system

Fe3O4 was obtained by reacting FeCl2 and FeCl3 with polyethylene glycol, and labeled onto a amphiphilic Janus nanosheet. It was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, SEM, AFM and EDS that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles changed from hydrophilic to amphiphilic. The oxidative desulfurization performance of amphiphilic iron oxide was studied. Results showed that the Janus nanosheets labeled with Fe3O4 could significantly improve the removal rate of thiophene sulfide in simulated oil synergistically with ultrasonic waves, and the desulfurization rate could reach 100%. Further, the effect of ultrasound on the sensing ability of the oil-water interface was studied and the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient was calculated. In addition to the desulfurization mechanism of Fe3O4, it was found that although the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient of the amphiphilic nanosheets was high, the number of hydroxyl radicals determined the desulfurization efficiency. The amphiphilic Fe ions were more favorable for the formation of hydroxyl radicals than the single hydrophilic ones.