Direct determination and quantification of organic sulfur forms by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and sulfur k-edge absorption spectroscopy

Abstract

The utility of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Sulfur X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) for the determination and quantification of sulfur forms in coal and petroleum asphaltenes has been demonstrated. XPS results showed differences in the Sulfur 2p signal which were interpreted in terms of the relative amounts of sulfur in sulfidic (163.3 eV) and thiophenic (164.1 eV) forms. Third derivatives of the XANES spectra from model compounds provided fingerprints for the discrimination of sulfur forms.