One-pot oxidative-adsorptive desulfurization of model fuel and fuel oil using magnetic boron nitride-based catalysts under ultrasonic irradiations

In this study, different amounts of MoO3 (0, 5, 10, 15 % wt.) along with F2O3 (5 % wt.) were impregnated on two-dimensional boron nitride (BN) nanosheets as a support material. The characterization of the synthesized catalysts was carried out using XRD, FESEM, BET-BJH, FTIR, TGA, VSM, and TEM techniques. Afterward, MoO3-BN-F2O3 synthesized catalysts were used in the oxidative desulfurization of model fuel [octane + dibenzothiophene (DBT)]. By increasing the amount of MoO3 from zero to 5 and 10 %, the removal of DBT was increased from 42 to 89.1 and 99.6 %. The used catalyst was tested by FTIR and the absorption of DBTO2 as a DBT oxidation product on the surface of the catalyst and thus the dual catalytic-adsorption functionality of this catalyst was confirmed for the first time. The 10 %MoO3-BN-F2O3 was tested for desulfurization of Iranian fuel oil as well. The amount of total sulfur conversion using this catalyst was 98 % and the GC–MS also confirmed the complete and selective removal of aromatic sulfur compounds and adsorption of their oxidation products on the catalyst, omitting the need for solvent for extraction.